Health-related quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and its relationship with cyclophosphamide pulse therapy

Abstract 

Objectives

To examine health-related quality of life in Brazilian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and compare patients using cyclophosphamide (CP) pulse therapy with those who do not use it.

Methods

Patients with SLE using or not CP completed the SF-36 and SRQ-20 (psychological morbidity) questionnaire. The Lupus Activity Criteria Count (LAAC) assessed SLE disease activity.

Results

We studied 102 patients with SLE. The presence of psychological morbidity was associated with all the scores from SF-36. The physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-36 was significantly lower in patients with activity disease and the mental component summary (MCS) was significantly lower in the patients with psychological morbidity. Comparing patients using or not CP, it was not observed in a statistical significant difference in the 8 domains of the SF-36, nor in the PCS and MCS between the two groups. The prevalence of psychological morbidity evaluated by the SRQ-20 has not presented a statistical significant difference between the patients using or not CP. In the multivariate analysis, using the PCS and MCS as separate dependent variables, the most important variable associated with them was psychological morbidity.

Conclusion

Cyclophosphamide pulse therapy does not worse health-related quality of life in patients with SLE. The presence of psychological distress is an important factor associated with worse quality of life.

Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Health-related quality of life, Cyclophosphamide pulse therapy