Impact of Inflammation and Treatment on Self-reported Quality of Life in Patients with Non-acute Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada Disease (VKHD)

ABSTRACT

Aims: To evaluate associations between vision-related (VR-) and health-related (HR-) QoL metrics and inflammation and treatment in non-acute VKHD patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in a tertiary center in Sao Paulo, Brazil with 22 patients with non-acute VKHD followed prospectively for ≥12 months since acute disease onset, with systematic evaluation and predefined treatment protocols. VR- and HR-QoL aspects were assessed by VFQ-25 and SF-36 questionnaires, respectively. Associations between the questionnaire’s subscale item scores with inflammation and systemic medical therapies were assessed.

Results: After generalized linear model analysis, worse VA, severe fundus changes, fluctuation of VA and fluctuation of anterior chamber cells impacted negatively on VR-QoL items. Higher cumulative total dose of corticosteroids and use of immunosuppressive therapy impacted negatively on both questionnaires.

Conclusion: Worse VA, clinical inflammation and systemic treatment have a significant impact on VR- and HR-QoL questionnaires. Subclinical choroidal inflammation did not seem to impact QoL.

Keywords:

• Inflammation
• quality of life
• treatment medical
• uveitis
• uveomeningoencephalitic syndrome

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Role of the funder/sponsor

The funding source had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Author contributions

Definition of study design: Yamamoto JH; data collection: Souto FMS, Missaka RFBG, Magalhães BM, Caetano VMC, Takiuti JT; analysis and interpretation of data: all authors; manuscript writing: Souto FMS, Yamamoto JH; critical review and approval of the manuscript: all authors.

Additional information

Funding

São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Grant #2011/50936-7.