Health-related quality of life in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with subcutaneous interferon β-1a in Iran.
OBJECTIVE
Multiple sclerosis (MS) requires long-term therapy and can affect many aspects of a patient's life, including quality of life. MS patients score lower on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures. The efficacy of subcutaneous interferon (IFN) β-1a has been extensively evaluated by using objective measures but its impact on HRQoL is currently unclear. In this observational study, we evaluated HRQoL of Iranian patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) treated with IFN β-1a by using short-form 36 (SF-36) and multiple sclerosis international quality of life (MusiQoL) questionnaires.


METHODS
Four hundred recruited RRMS patients were treated with human serum album free IFN β-1a for 1 year. Patients were required to fill in SF-36 and MusiQoL questionnaires at the first visit and at each follow-up visit. Expanded disability status scale (EDSS) evaluation was performed at baseline and at each visit. Comparisons in HRQoL between visits were calculated using Cohen's d effect size. The relationship between change in EDSS score and the score of each questionnaire was calculated using Pearson correlation coefficients.


RESULTS
Three-hundred and eighty three completed the study. Two-hundred and thirty nine were female. Mean (SD) age was 28.75 (±5.49). After 1 year, overall MusiQoL Index score effect size was -0.16 and SF-36 physical component and mental component showed overall effect sizes of -0.28 and -0.53, respectively. Mean (range) EDSS change was 1 (1-4). Three-hundred and seventy four were clinically stable with mean (range) EDSS change of 0.1 (-2-0.5). Increase in EDSS was linked to a decrease in both MusiQoL and SF-36.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that, HRQoL did not change significantly over the first year of therapy. Furthermore, decreases in HRQoL were inversely correlated with increases in EDSS score.
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Hossein
H
Pakdaman
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Ali
A
Amini Harandi
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Koroush
K
Gharagozli
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Mehdi
M
Abbasi
b Department of Neurology , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Abdolreza
A
Tabassi
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Farzad
F
Ashrafi
b Department of Neurology , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Majid
M
Ghaffarpor
c Merck Serono Middle East FZ LLC , Dubai , United Arab Emirates.
Shahdak
S
Sharifi
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Hosein
H
Delavar Kasmae
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Farhad
F
Assarzadegan
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Mehran
M
Arabahmadi
a Brain Mapping Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
Behdad
B
Behnam
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a
Iran; health-related quality of life; observational study; relapsing-remitting MS; subcutaneous interferon β-1a