The relationship between neuropsychiatric, clinical, and laboratory variables and quality of life of Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of neuropsychiatric (NP), clinical, and laboratory variables in influencing the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).


METHODS
The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 was applied in a cohort of 291 patients with SLE. At the time of HRQOL testing all patients underwent a clinical and laboratory evaluation together with measures of disease activity and damage. Patients also submitted to a battery of NP tests.


RESULTS
Using multivariate analysis, NP involvement-ever was associated with impairment of the general health subscale. Cerebrovascular disease and mononeuropathy were associated with impairment of the physical function subscale, while the latter was also associated with impairment of the role-emotional subscale. Cognitive impairment was associated with impairment of the mental health subscale. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) depression score was associated with impairment of all the 8 subscales, physical, and mental summary scores. The HAD anxiety score was associated with impairment of predominantly mental function. Active arthritis, lower education level, and serum albumin levels were associated with impairment of predominantly physical function. Advancing age and damage were associated with impairment of both physical and mental function. Low hemoglobin level and female sex were associated with impairment of predominantly mental function.


CONCLUSIONS
NP involvement and low-grade inflammation as reflected by low serum albumin and hemoglobin concentrations were associated with impaired HRQOL in patients with SLE, independent of other sociodemographic and clinical variables.
Tam
Lai-Shan
LS
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. tamls_813@yahoo.com
Wong
Adrian
A
Mok
Vincent C T
VC
Zhu
Yan-Er
YE
Kwok
Lai-Wa
LW
Li
Tena K
TK
Wong
Kong-Chiu
KC
Li
Edmund K
EK
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D002681:China; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
D012709:Serum Albumin