Health-related quality of life in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: relationship with serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines.
OBJECTIVE
A cross-sectional study of 30 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) was performed to analyse the health-related quality of life and its relationship with serum levels of macrophage- and lymphocyte-derived cytokines.


METHODS
Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and gamma-interferon (gamma-INF) were analysed by a sandwich immunoassay-based protein array system.


RESULTS
Each of the eight scales of the SF-36 evaluating quality of life, as well as the physical composite score (PCS) and the mental composite score (MCS), showed a decrease in pSS patients. Similarly, patients with pSS showed significantly increased concentrations of each of the five cytokines analysed, when compared with the healthy control group (n = 20). In pSS patients, a significant negative correlation was detected between serum levels of IL-6 and the PCS of the SF-36. Those patients with concentrations of IL-6 higher than those of the healthy controls showed a significantly lower score in the dimensions of bodily pain and physical functioning, and in the PCS.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with pSS showed increased levels of several macrophage- and lymphocyte-derived cytokines, indicating the existence of an immune activation state. Serum levels of one of these cytokines, IL-6, were correlated with poor quality of life in these individuals.
Baturone
R
R
Department of Rheumatology, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cádiz, Spain.
Soto
M J
MJ
Márquez
M
M
Macías
I
I
de Oca
M Montes
MM
Medina
F
F
Chozas
N
N
García-Pérez
S
S
Girón-González
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma