Name: Laiza Hombre Dias
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 07/03/2016
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Valéria Valim Cristo | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Eliana Zandonade | Internal Examiner * |
| Maria Carmen Lopes Ferrira Silva Santos | Internal Alternate * |
| Valéria Valim Cristo | Advisor * |
| Virginia Fernandes Moça Trevisani | External Examiner * |
Summary: Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and investigate their possible predictors. Methods: In a crosssectional study, 77 patients with pSS (American-European Consensus Group Criteria) were evaluated using the following questionnaires: Functional Assessment
of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue Subscale (FACIT-Fatigue), EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI), EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI), Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Seventy-seven healthy
controls answered the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF. Mann-Whitney test, t test, Pearson and Spearman correlation, as well as multiple regression tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: pSS patients and healthy controls were matched for age 52.3 (± 9.03) and 52.2 (± 8.91) years, respectively, and sex (all women). The
mean scores of ESSDAI, ESSPRI and FACIT-Fatigue were 3.34 (± 4.61) 6.58 (± 2.29) and 26.17 (± 11.02), respectively. The patients had a lower employment rate (36.4% versus 62.3%, p <0.01) and higher disability (10.4% versus 1.3%; p <0.01).
Values of the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF were lower in patients with pSS (p <0.001), except in the environmental domain of the WHOQOL-BREF. FACIT-Fatigue and ESSPRI showed significant correlation with all domains of the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF. ESSDAI only weakly correlated with the emotional aspects domain
of the SF-36. By multiple regression analysis, ESSPRI pain, FACIT-Fatigue, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-Ro-SSA and Criteria of Brazilian Economic Classification (CCEB) were independent predictors of QoL. Conclusions: Patients with pSS have lower QoL compared to healthy subjects. Disease activity did not correlate with QoL. Fatigue and pain were the main predictors of symptoms of QoL in
patients with pSS.
