Clinical characteristics and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To study the clinical characteristics and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. 94 adult SLE patients were included from those attending Zagazig University Hospitals. SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics damage Index (SLICC/DI) were recorded. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the lupus-QoL (LQoL) questionnaire. The mean age of the patients was 36.9 ± 14.1 years and disease duration 5.8 ± 4 years. All LqoL domains were reduced. LQoL was significantly related to the gender, SLEDAI, SLICC/DI, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ds-DNA) (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.03, p = 0.002, p = 0.02, p < 0.0001 respectively). The LQoL was not related to the age, disease duration and level of education. All 8 domains significantly correlated with SLEDAI and SLICC/DI. Mucocutaneous manifestations lowered emotional health (43.3 ± 5.7), body image (45.3 ± 6.9) and fatigue (47.3 ± 9.3) domains; neuropsychiatric manifestation lowered the emotional health (43.4 ± 9.7), planning (47.3 ± 8.8) and intimate relationship (49.2 ± 11.7); musculoskeletal manifestations mainly worsened burden to others (31.3 ± 10.5), pain (47.6 ± 10.4) and physical health (50.3 ± 11.3) while lupus nephritis mainly decreased physical health (60.4 ± 11.4), fatigue (61.2 ± 5.7), burden to others (62.4 ± 11.4) and emotional health (67.4 ± 20.3). SLE is a condition associated with high unmet need and considerable burden to patients. To our knowledge, no previous study has systematically examined the clinical features as well as HRQoL of SLE patients in Sharkia Governorate, Eastern Egypt. HRQoL is a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical, emotional and social components associated with SLE manifestations.