title: Assessment of health-related quality of life as an outcome measure in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess a generic measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as an outcome measure in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were participants in the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET) or the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium Longitudinal Study (VCRC-LS). HRQOL was assessed with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey that includes physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS, respectively). Disease activity was assessed with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for Wegener's Granulomatosis (BVAS/WG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data from 180 subjects in the WGET (median followup 2.3 years, mean number of visits 10) and 237 subjects in the VCRC-LS (median followup 2.0 years, mean number of visits 8) were analyzed. A 1 unit increase in the BVAS/WG corresponded to a 1.15 unit (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02, 1.29) decrease for the PCS and a 0.93 (95% CI 0.78, 1.07) decrease for the MCS in the WGET, and to a 1.16 unit decrease for the PCS (95% CI 0.94, 1.39) and a 0.79 unit decrease for the MCS (95% CI 0.51, 1.39) in the VCRC-LS. In both arms of the WGET study, SF-36 measures improved rapidly during the first 6 weeks of treatment followed by gradual improvement among patients achieving sustained remission (0.5 improvement in PCS per 3 months), but worsened slightly (0.03 decrease in PCS every 3 months) among patients not achieving sustained remission (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQOL, as measured by the SF-36, is reduced among patients with GPA. SF-36 measures are modestly associated with other disease outcomes and discriminate between disease states of importance in GPA.
authors.affiliation: Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomasson
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boers
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LaValley
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cuthbertson
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carette
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Nader A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Khalidi
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McAlear
authors.forename: W Joseph
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McCune
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Monach
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Specks
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spiera
authors.forename: E William
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ytterberg
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Merkel
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D055953:Microscopic Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept