Health-related Quality of Life Assessment on 100 Tunisian Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis using the SF-36 Survey.

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to examine the self reported health status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared with the general population and the secondary objective (in the AS group) was to study the association between health status, demographic parameters, and specific disease instruments in AS.

Methods: A cross sectional study of 100 AS patients recruited between 2006 and 2009 at the Department of Rheumatology. Health status was assessed by using the SF-36 health questionnaire in patients with AS.

[Validation of the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire in Tunisian language].

Background: The Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire is a Wide-world used, unidimensional, disease-specific measure of quality of life. Arabic or Tunisian versions of ASQoL or any other quality of life index are not provided.

Aim: To adapt the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of life Questionnaire (ASQoL) for use in Tunisian and to test its reliability and validity.

Assessment of preclinical atherosclerosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: Epidemiological studies recently confirmed the increased risk of vascular morbidity and mortality during ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Increase of intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery is a useful and noninvasive marker of preclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of our study was to compare IMT in patients with AS with matched controls and to determine risk factors of atherosclerosis related to AS.