Abstract
This nationwide, population-based, retrospective, matched case–control study included 111,960 newly diagnosed patients with scleritis who were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 379.0, selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Demographic characteristics, Sjögren syndrome, and comorbid conditions within 1 year before the scleritis diagnosis were examined using univariate logistic regression analyses, and a paired t-test was used for continuous variables. Adjusted logistic regression was used to compare the prognosis odds ratio (OR) of the patients with scleritis with the controls. After adjustment for confounders, patients with Sjögren syndrome were remarkably more likely to have scleritis than the controls (OR = 33.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 27.43–40.97, p < 0.001). Other conditions found to have increased odds of scleritis included post ocular pterygium, glaucoma, and scleral surgery (OR = 4.01, 95% CI = 3.64–4.43; OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 2.24–4.47; OR = 6.83, 95% CI = 5.34–8.74, respectively); systemic infections, such as syphilis, tuberculosis, and a human herpes viral infection (OR = 4.01, 95% CI = 2.93–5.50; OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.94–2.58; OR = 8.54, 95% CI = 8.07–9.03, respectively); and systemic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 2.66–3.23; OR = 7.37, 95% CI = 3.91–13.88; OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 2.63–3.85; OR = 5.57, 95% CI = 4.99–6.22; OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 2.72–2.96, respectively). The results strongly support an association between Sjögren syndrome, post ocular surgery, systemic infection disease, systemic autoimmune disease, and scleritis.
Highlights
Scleritis, a severe ocular inflammatory condition, is characteristically painful and can cause significant visual impairment [1]
The purpose of the current study was to use a health care claims database containing records for more than 110,000 patients with scleritis and controls matched by age and sex, to investigate the association between Sjögren syndrome, sociodemographic factors, various comorbid conditions, such as post ocular surgery, systemic infections, systemic autoimmune diseases, and scleritis, which may help to elucidate the pathophysiologic features of scleritis
The most common approximate income of the patients with scleritis was lower than 30,000 New Taiwan dollars (NT$) (57,986; 51.79%), followed by between
Summary
A severe ocular inflammatory condition, is characteristically painful and can cause significant visual impairment [1]. The sclera, the outer covering of the eye, has unique structural and vascular characteristics that are vulnerable to inflammatory conditions. The structure of the sclera is composed of a scaffold of collagen, protein fibrils, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans. The relatively avascular nature of the sclera 4.0/). Decreases circulation and antigens or harmful substance removal, that can lead to intense inflammatory reactions [2]. Scleritis tends to affect patients in middle age, with the median age at diagnosis being between 47 and 60 years. It is more predominant in the female sex, with women comprising
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