Impact of disease activity on health related quality of life in patients with Behçet's disease: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Behçet's syndrome (BD) is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown aetiology, affecting vessels of different types, sizes and locations and characterized by recurrent episodes of acute inflammation, including mucocutaneous manifestations (oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers and skin lesions) and gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, ophthalmic and vascular involvement which lead to a significant morbidity and impaired health related quality of life (HRQoL). Few studies reported impact of disease activity on HRQoL.

Objective: To assess the impact of BD activity on HRQoL.

Patients And Methods: This cross sectional study included patients with Behçet's disease diagnosed according to the International Study Group criteria 1990 for BD. Age of the patients, sex, smoking status, educational level, disease duration, organ involvement, age at disease onset, and medications used were recorded. Behçet's Disease Disease activity was assessed using Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and HRQoL was evaluated using The Short Form-36 (SF-36).

Results: A total of 71 patients (45 males, 26 females) with Behçet's disease were enrolled in this study. Mean age of patients was 36.0 ± 10.8 years, Males represented the majority of patients (63.4%). BDCAF was significantly and negatively correlated with total SF-36 score (standardized β = - 0.520, p < 0.0001). The mean BDCAF was significantly more in females compared to males (6.154 ± 2.444 vs 4.467 ± 2.785, p = 0.012). While the mean SF36 was significantly more in males compared to females (57.722 ± 21.627 vs 41.435 ± 18.993, p = 0.002). After multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, still BDCAF significantly and negatively affected HRQoL in BD (partial r = -0.255, p = 0.043). Male gender, cyclosporine users, infliximab users, and Adalimumab users had significant positive impact on total SF-36 score (partial r = 0.293, p = 0.020; partial r = 0.256, p- = 0.043, partial r = 0.414; p = 0.00, partial r = 0.399, p = 0.001 respectively). While disease duration, and MMF users (partial r = -0.295, p = 0.019; partial r = -0.250, p = 0.043) had significant negative impact on total SF-36 score, and there was weak positive correlation between vascular involvement and total SF36 score (partial r = 0.244,p = 0.053) and a negative weak correlation between the use of anticoagulant with total SF-36 score (partial r = -0.233, p = 0.066).

Conclusions: Behçet's disease activity has a significant negative impact on HRQoL This may suggest that treating activity of disease may improve HRQoL