Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Rheumatology, Lund University, Sweden.
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Greece.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Dec 24;61(1):146-153. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab269.
To characterize the epidemiology of temporal artery biopsy-positive (TAB+) GCA, including trends in incidence, seasonal variation and prevalence in Skåne, the southernmost region of Sweden.
All histopathology reports of TABs from 1997 through 2019 were reviewed to identify patients diagnosed with TAB+ GCA. Incidence rates based on the 23-year period and the point-prevalence at 31 December 2014 were determined. An alternative prevalence calculation included only TAB+ GCA patients living in the study area and receiving immunosuppressant therapy on the point-prevalence date.
One thousand three hundred and sixty patients were diagnosed with TAB+ GCA (71% female). The average annual incidence 1997-2019 was 13.3 (95% CI: 12.6, 14.0) per 100 000 inhabitants aged ≥50 years and was higher in females (17.8; 95% CI: 16.7, 18.9) than in males (8.2; 95% CI: 7.4, 9.0). The age- and sex-standardized incidence declined from 17.3 in 1997 to 8.7 in 2019, with incidence ratio (IR) of 0.98 per year (95% CI: 0.98, 0.99). A seasonal variation was observed with higher incidence during spring than winter [IR = 1.19 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.39)]. The overall point-prevalence of TAB+ GCA was 127.1/100 000 (95% CI: 117, 137.3) and was 75.5 (95% CI: 67.7, 83.3) when including only patients receiving immunosuppressants.
Over the past 2 decades, the incidence of biopsy-confirmed GCA has decreased by ∼2% per year. Still, a high prevalence of GCA on current treatment was observed. More cases are diagnosed during spring and summer than in the winter.
描述经颞动脉活检阳性（TAB+）巨细胞动脉炎（GCA）的流行病学特征，包括发病率趋势、季节性变化和在瑞典最南端斯科讷省的流行情况。
回顾了 1997 年至 2019 年所有 TAB 的组织病理学报告，以确定诊断为 TAB+GCA 的患者。根据 23 年期间的发病率和 2014 年 12 月 31 日的时点患病率进行了确定。另一种患病率计算方法仅包括居住在研究区域内且在时点患病率日正在接受免疫抑制剂治疗的 TAB+GCA 患者。
共诊断出 1360 例 TAB+GCA 患者（71%为女性）。1997-2019 年平均年发病率为 13.3（95%可信区间：12.6，14.0）/10 万≥50 岁的居民，女性发病率（17.8；95%可信区间：16.7，18.9）高于男性（8.2；95%可信区间：7.4，9.0）。年龄和性别标准化发病率从 1997 年的 17.3 下降到 2019 年的 8.7，每年发病率比（IR）为 0.98（95%可信区间：0.98，0.99）。观察到季节性变化，春季发病率高于冬季[IR=1.19（95%可信区间：1.03，1.39）]。TAB+GCA 的总时点患病率为 127.1/10 万（95%可信区间：117，137.3），当仅包括接受免疫抑制剂治疗的患者时，这一比例为 75.5（95%可信区间：67.7，83.3）。
在过去的 20 年里，活检证实的 GCA 发病率每年下降约 2%。尽管如此，目前治疗中 GCA 的高患病率仍然存在。春季和夏季诊断出的病例多于冬季。
