title: Quality of life in adult patients with Familial Mediterranean fever living in Germany or Turkey compared to healthy subjects: a study evaluating the effect of disease severity and country of residence.
abstract: We assessed quality of life (QOL) and disease activity in patients with Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) of Turkish ancestry living in Germany or Turkey and conducted a correlation with FMF disease activity. 40 FMF patients in Turkey (TR), 40 FMF patients in Germany (G) and 40 healthy controls in Germany (C) were included. QOL was evaluated with the short form of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF). FMF disease activity was examined with the Pras score. Mean age was TR 30.5 ± 10.6, G 35.2 ± 10.2, C 34.6 ± 10.7. Of the 120 participants, 77 were female. FMF patients in TR and G had a significantly decreased QOL physical health domain compared to controls (TR 59.7 ± 18.8, G 60.4 ± 19.4, C 76.5 ± 14.6). Turkish FMF patients had a lower QOL environment domain compared to controls (TR 62.3 ± 17.5, G 69.7 ± 16.5, C 72.3 ± 13.5). In the other QOL domains, no significant differences were found. The differences in QOL were robust to a regression analysis. No significant correlation between QOL and FMF disease activity was found. German FMF patients had longer duration of disease, younger age at onset and longer delay from disease onset to colchicine treatment. A total of 5 of 40 German FMF patients were not taking colchicine (TR:0). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was lowest in TR with significant difference between TR and G as well as G and C (TR 13.2 ± 10.3, G 27.8 ± 19.4, C 16.3 ± 12.8 mm/h). C-reactive protein did not differ between TR and G. FMF has an important impact on QOL physical health domain. No correlation between FMF disease activity and the WHOQOL-BREF could be found.
authors.affiliation: Central Patient Admission Unit/Emergency Department, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, 44625 Herne, Germany. arnd.giese@rub.de
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurucay
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Örnek
authors.forename: Süleyman Nahit
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Şendur
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lainka
authors.forename: Bernhard Ferdinand
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Henning
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003078:Colchicine