Health-related quality of life in systemic sclerosis as measured by the Short Form 36: relationship with clinical and biologic markers.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and to correlate SF-36 scores with clinical and biologic markers.


METHODS
The SF-36 was administered to 24 controls and 24 SSc patients. SSc patients also were evaluated for subset (limited SSc [lSSc] and diffuse SSc [dSSc]), age, disease duration, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels, autoantibodies, and skin and internal organ involvement.


RESULTS
The physical summary score (PSS) was lower in SSc patients than in controls (P < 0.05), whereas the mental summary score (MSS) was higher in dSSc than in lSSc patients (P < 0.05). Five of 8 single SF-36 domain scores were lower in SSc patients than in controls (P < 0.05). Vitality was higher in dSSc than in controls (P < 0.001). In SSc, elder age correlated with lower PSS; low ACE levels and high skin score correlated with higher general mental health and role limitations due to physical problems, respectively (P < 0.05). Patients with heart involvement had higher scores in general health perceptions (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The SF-36 shows that HRQOL is impaired in patients with SSc. Higher scores in MSS and vitality in patients with dSSc and correlations of high SF-36 scores with specific organ involvement suggest that SSc patients with severe disease are more able to cope with HRQOL modification.
Del Rosso
Angela
A
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy. angeldelr@tin.it
Boldrini
Maura
M
D'Agostino
David
D
Placidi
Giovanni Plinio Augusto
GP
Scarpato
Alessandra
A
Pignone
Alberto
A
Generini
Sergio
S
Konttinen
Yrio
Y
Zoppi
Massimo
M
Vlak
Tonko
T
Placidi
Gianfranco
G
Matucci-Cerinic
Marco
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D011788:Quality of Life; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A