Assessing quality of life in patients with autoimmune bullous diseases using the Persian version of Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life questionnaire finds similar effects in women as men

Abstract

Background: In autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs), autoantibodies loosen molecular adhesions in the skin and/or mucosa and lead to blisters and erosions. Immunosuppressive drugs reduce mortality of the AIBD; therefore, patients will have to live longer with comorbidities. Objective: This study aims to determine the quality of life of AIBD patients undergoing systemic treatment while investigating the survey’s relationship with various factors. Methods: In this 2-step cross-sectional study, we initially included 53 consecutive pemphigus patients to investigate reliability and validity of the Persian version of Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) questionnaire. Then, we conducted the study on 119 AIBD patients, currently under treatment at an AIBD clinic in Iran. Results: The mean TABQOL score for our patients was 13.87 ± 7.51. The highest TABQOL was for epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (24 ± 8.485) followed by pemphigus foliaceus (20.5 ± 14.181) and the lowest for pemphigus vulgaris (13.24 ± 6.54). There was no significant difference between patients’ TABQOL scores and their gender, history of rituximab injection, and disease severity scores. We only found a positive correlation between TABQOL and prednisolone dose. Conclusion: Treatments of AIBD considerably impact the quality of life of patients and an impairment in quality of life is correlated to higher doses of prednisolone.

Burden of pemphigus vulgaris with a particular focus on women: A review

“…117 To differentiate treatments effect from the disease itself, Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) was designed. 120 Based on the available literature, the TABQOL score of pemphigus patients would change according to disease course 114,116 and treatment intensity, 120,121 but unexpectedly, the difference between various treatments 119,122 and time periods 118,119 was not remarkable. Moreover, no study indicated the significant effect of gender on TABQOL score.…”