The Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Clin Rheumatol. 2018 Jan;37(1):101-105. doi: 10.1007/s10067-017-3781-8. Epub 2017 Aug 3.
The objective of this study is to determine whether the frequency of visits would affect disease activity and disease damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We recruited 147 patients who met the 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for SLE. Patients were divided into three groups based on follow-up frequency: ≤ 6 visits/year (group 1), 6-12 visits/year (group 2), and > 12 visits/year (group 3). Disease activity and organ damage were evaluated using the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics (SLICC)/ACR criteria, respectively. Data on disease features, patient characteristics, and treatment were retrospectively reviewed. We found that the SLICC score was significantly lower in patients with > 12 visits/year (P = 0.008), while the SLEDAI score showed no significant difference. The age at symptom onset (32.68 ± 13.53) and the age at SLE diagnosis (33.32 ± 13.81) in group 3 were significantly older than those in the other two groups. In univariate regression analysis, the frequency of visits, the age at symptom onset, and the age at SLE diagnosis were found to be associated with the SLICC scores. Visit frequency has no impact on SLE disease activity, but may be associated with less disease damage, an important outcome.
本研究旨在确定就诊频率是否会影响系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者的疾病活动度和疾病损害。我们招募了 147 名符合 1997 年美国风湿病学会（ACR）SLE 标准的患者。根据随访频率，患者被分为三组：≤6 次/年（组 1）、6-12 次/年（组 2）和>12 次/年（组 3）。采用 SLE 疾病活动指数（SLEDAI）和系统性红斑狼疮国际协作临床组/ACR 标准分别评估疾病活动度和器官损害。回顾性分析疾病特征、患者特征和治疗数据。我们发现，就诊次数>12 次/年的患者 SLICC 评分显著降低（P=0.008），而 SLEDAI 评分无显著差异。组 3 的发病年龄（32.68±13.53）和 SLE 诊断年龄（33.32±13.81）显著大于其他两组。单因素回归分析显示，就诊频率、发病年龄和 SLE 诊断年龄与 SLICC 评分相关。就诊频率对 SLE 疾病活动度无影响，但可能与疾病损害减轻有关，这是一个重要的结局。
