MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Research Articles

Nation-wide epidemiological study of Japanese patients with rare viral myelopathy using novel registration system (HAM-net)

BackgroundAt least one million people are infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in Japan, a small percentage of whom develop HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) or adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Patients with HAM/TSP suffer from progressively worsening myelopathic symptoms, such as motor disability and bladder dysfunction, and may become wheelchair-bound or even bedridden.MethodsTo learn more about this rare, debilitating disease, we established the national registration system “HAM-net” in March 2012. We continuously obtain detailed data from enrolled patients using the registration forms and an annual telephone interview. In this retrospective study, we describe the demographics and clinical histories of 383 registered patients from all over Japan.ResultsPatients were diagnosed at a median of 53 years old, long after disease onset at 45. Most (55.3 %) were originally from the southernmost regions, Kyushu and Okinawa. The main initial symptoms were difficulty walking (81.9 %), urinary dysfunction (38.5 %), and lower limb sensory disturbances (13.9 %). Many patients reported frequent leg numbness and leg pain, and the vast majority required medical intervention for urinary symptoms and constipation. A median of 8 years elapsed from the onset of motor symptoms to Osame Motor Disability Score (OMDS) 5 (requiring unilateral support), 12.5 years to OMDS 6 (requiring bilateral support), and 18 years to OMDS 9 (unable to walk). Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index (HAQ-DI) tasks related to mobility, as opposed to hand motions, were very difficult for HAM/TSP patients and well-correlated with OMDS. Scores on the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) indicated that physical functioning was severely impaired in HAM/TSP patients. Patients with a history of blood transfusion (19.1 %) were older and suffered from more severe disability as indicated by their high HAQ-DI scores. Patients with a family history of HAM/TSP (8.4 %) were younger and had relatively mild symptoms given their long disease durations; many (15.6 %) also had a relative with ATLL.ConclusionsThe HAM-net national registration system has been an effective tool for gathering personal and clinical data from HAM/TSP patients scattered throughout Japan. We expect to conduct many retrospective and prospective epidemiological studies using HAM-net in the future.

Chinese herbal formula for postprandial distress syndrome: Study protocol of a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

IntroductionFunctional dyspepsia is one of the typical functional gastrointestinal disorders and can be further categorized into postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome. The clinical response to conventional medicine treatment is unsatisfactory so that a majority of the population will seek help from Traditional Chinese Medicine. In clinical practice JianPi’I, derived from a classical TCM formula Xiangshaliujunzi decoction, appears to have a satisfactory effect on functional dyspepsia. Therefore, in order to further verify the benefit of JianPi’I, we designed a strict clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of JianPi’I in postprandial distress syndrome patients. MethodsThis is a 10-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible 144 patients will randomly be assigned to JianPi’I or placebo. The primary outcome is the change in the postprandial discomfort severity scale from baseline to treatment endpoint. The secondary outcomes include the changes in the clinical global impression scale, Traditional Chinese Medicine symptoms scores, MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey and gastric emptying from baseline to treatment endpoint. DiscussionThe main ingredients of JianPi’I contain Radix Codonopsis (Dangshen), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Baizhu), Poria (Fuling), Fructus Amomi (Sharen), Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gancao), Radix Aucklandiae (Muxiang), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chenpi), and Rhizoma Pinelliae (Banxia), which are expected to alleviate symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome. This randomized placebo-controlled trial will comprehensively examine the efficacy and safety of JianPi’I in postprandial distress syndrome patients, and aim to provide a new treatment option for clinical practice in postprandial distress syndrome management.

Radiographic Severity of Arthritis Affects Functional Outcome in Total Ankle Replacement (TAR).

It has been previously demonstrated that radiographic severity of arthritis predicts outcome following knee replacement. In certain circumstances, patients may undergo arthroplasty without severe radiographic disease. An example may be the patient with significant chondral damage unsuccessfully treated with arthroscopy. This patient may proceed to joint replacement when their radiographs would not normally merit such intervention. We investigated whether these findings were also applicable to total ankle replacements (TARs). We retrospectively reviewed a single-surgeon, single-implant series of 178 TARs in 170 patients. Of them, 124 patients who took part in the hospital joint registry with a minimum 2-year follow-up were included for this study. The radiographic severity of arthritis was graded using the Kellgren-Lawrence classification. Preoperative weight-bearing radiographs were reviewed for severity of arthritis by 2 blinded observers: the first author and an independent colleague from the radiology department. Patients were grouped into 4 subgroups based on degree of severity of radiographic grading for arthritis-A, B, C, and D (for grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 grades, respectively). Data collected included Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS; pain, function, and stiffness), MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, and patient satisfaction scores collected prospectively and at 1 and 2 years postoperation. Groups were similar in terms of demographic data (P > .1) and preoperative FAOS scores (P > .89) for pain, function and stiffness. Group D had the biggest improvement in all domains of FAOS. This reached significance in each domain when compared to group C. No significant differences were demonstrated in SF-36 scores. Overall, 91.1% of patients in group D were satisfied at 2 years, compared with 50.0% of patients in groups A, B, and C (P < .001). In addition, 93.9% of patients in group D felt that their quality of life had been improved by the surgery, compared to 47% of patients with groups A, B, and C (P < .001). Further, 77.3% of patients from group D said they would have the operation again, vs only 52.2% of patients with grade III or less (P = .014). Patients who were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" postoperatively had an average Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade of 3.9 preoperatively. In contrast the "very dissatisfied" and "somewhat dissatisfied" patients had an average KL grade of 2.9 (P < .05). Although this study does not explain all of the dissatisfaction in TAR, radiologic severity is an important factor that surgeons must consider when planning how best to treat their patients. There may be a different pathophysiology in this patient group that is not well served by arthroplasty. Level III, retrospective comparative series.

Acupuncture for Functional Dyspepsia: What Strength Does It Have? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background. Although the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy on functional dyspepsia (FD) has been systematically reviewed, the available reports are still contradictive and no robust evidence has been provided to date. Objective. To assess the current evidence of high quality on the effects of acupuncture for patients with FD. Methods. A comprehensive literature database search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture therapies (including manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture) to sham acupuncture and medication use. A meta-analysis was performed following a strict methodology. Results. 16 RCTs involving 1436 participants were included. The majority of the trials were determined to be of low quality. Positive results were found for acupuncture in improving the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) and scores of the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), as well as in alleviating relevant symptoms (especially postprandial fullness and early satiation) of FD patients. Conclusion. Based on current available evidence, acupuncture therapy achieves statistically significant effect for FD in comparison with sham acupuncture and is superior to medication (prokinetic agents) in improving the symptoms and quality of life of FD patients. Nonetheless, despite stringent methodological analyses, the conclusion of our review still needs to be strengthened by additional RCTs of higher quality.

Late Isometric Assessment of Hip Abductor Muscle and Its Relationship with Functional Tests in Elderly Women Undergoing Replacement of Unilateral Hip Joint.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the recovery of muscle strength and measure autonomy 3 yrs after hip replacement surgery in a sample of patients. Seventy-eight female patients (70.7 ± 6.3 yrs old) operated on for hip replacement were evaluated. They underwent evaluation tests for hip abductor muscle strength on the healthy and operated limb using strength curves obtained with isometric assessments. Autonomy was evaluated with a rating scale Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), Harris and MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and functional assessment (Timed 'Up and Go' test). Three years after surgery, a muscle strength deficit was still noticeable on the operated limb compared with the healthy limb ranging from 9% at 5 degrees of adduction to 12% at 0 degree of abduction. The strength curves obtained on the operated side maintained the same descending trend as the healthy side. The authors found no significant correlations between the patient-reported functional measures and the hip abductor strength deficit. The Timed Up and Go test was moderately correlated with the muscle strength deficit. The association between the deficit and the Timed Up and Go test was statistically significant. The evaluation of muscle strength and functional tests are more useful than the rating scales in patients 3 yrs after surgery. The strength curves are useful to have different levels of information and describe joint function.

Effect of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation on Quality of Life in Patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is one of several disorders of the conduction system of the heart that are commonly referred to as pre-excitation syndromes. As the syndrome significantly reduces the patients’ quality of life (QoL), the purpose of the current study was to compare QoL scores in patients with WPW syndrome before and after a radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) procedure. To assess the patients’ QoL, the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey was used. Immediate and long-term outcomes of radiofrequency catheter ablation were analyzed in 60 patients diagnosed with WPW syndrome, 41(68.3%) men and 19(31.7%) women. As compared with the controls (28 apparently healthy persons), patients with WPW syndrome before RFA experienced significant reduction in both physical and mental health components. RFA was found effective in 93.3% of patients with WPW syndrome. At 3 months after RFA, patients showed significant improvement in both physical (13.5%) and mental (17.2%) health components; at 12 months, QoL parameters reached those of the controls. (Int J Biomed. 2015;5(3):123-126.)

Improvement in health-related quality of life among adults with serious mental illness receiving inpatient treatment: a prospective cohort study.

This study examined changes in health-related quality of life in adult inpatients with serious mental illness engaged in a 6- to 8-week intensive treatment program. Admission and discharge assessment with the MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey was completed (June 2010-June 2012) for 410 adults aged 18-68 years. Paired t tests and effect size estimates were calculated for the overall sample, and reliable change index scores and clinical significance were calculated to estimate individual-level response and recovery rates. Hierarchical stepwise regression analyses were conducted to explore patient pretreatment characteristics, including total number of DSM-IV-TR diagnoses, that influence treatment response. Large effect size improvements were demonstrated for the Mental Component Summary score (Cohen d = 1.5), including subjective ratings of vitality (Cohen d = 1.1), social functioning (Cohen d = 1.3), role-emotional functioning (Cohen d = 1.3), and mental health (Cohen d = 1.3). Equivocal findings for change in physical health were demonstrated, with the majority of patients demonstrating no significant change in function (t409 = 0.14, P = .89) but approximately equal numbers of patients demonstrating improvement and deterioration. The pretreatment characteristic of a tendency to be interpersonally distant, cold, and disengaged was predictive of a poorer outcome on Mental Component Summary treatment response (P < .001). In light of a heavy burden of illness and high psychiatric comorbidity of this sample, treatment response was generally positive for improvement in mental health functioning. This study adds to a growing body of evidence indicating robust treatment response even for those with serious mental illness when treatment is intensive and multimodal.

THE IMPACT OF LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS ON GENERIC HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN MALE PATIENTS WITHOUT CO-MORBIDITY

We investigated the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on generic health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in male patients without co-morbidity. From 2003 to 2011, a total 567 men who presented out urological department completed the questionnaires including International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), incontinence-frequency score (IFS) from the UCLA prostate cancer index, MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Among 230 patients with no coexisting morbidity, the relations between each LUTS score of IPSS indices and IFS and 8 domain scores of SF-36 were analyzed by Pearson's product-moment correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Univariate analysis showed that the IFS had a significant correlation with all of 8 domain scores of SF-36, and also the IPSS item scores of urgency, nocturia and straining correlated significantly with multiple domain scores of SF-36. In multiple regression analysis, the proportionate contributions of LUTS to each SF-36 domain scores were low (R2 was 10% or less). Incontinence was considered as the most influential factor that had a negative impact on HRQOL in 7 SF-36 domains of physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health perception, vitality, social functioning and mental health. Additionally, nocturia, straining and urgency were significantly associated with deficit of HRQOL in 4 SF-36 domains (role-physical, general health perception, role-emotional, mental health), 2 domains (bodily pain, social functioning) and 1 domain (role-emotional) of SF-36, respectively. CONCLUSION; Among LUTS, incontinence, nocturia and straining were the most important symptoms in association with the negative impact on generic HRQOL measured by SF-36.

Long-term outcomes of lumbar spinal stenosis: eight-year results of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT).

Randomized trial with a concurrent observational cohort study. To compare 8-year outcomes of surgery with nonoperative care for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. Surgery for spinal stenosis has been shown to be more effective than nonoperative treatment during 4 years, but longer-term data are less clear. Surgical candidates from 13 centers in 11 US states with at least 12 weeks of symptoms and confirmatory imaging were enrolled in a randomized cohort or observational cohort. Treatment was standard, decompressive laminectomy versus standard nonoperative care. Primary outcomes were SF-36 (MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey) Bodily Pain and Physical Function scales and the modified Oswestry Disability Index assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and yearly up to 8 years. Data were obtained for 55% of participants in the randomized group and 52% of participants in the observational group at the 8-year follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses showed no differences between randomized cohorts; however, 70% of those randomized to surgery and 52% of those randomized to nonoperative had undergone surgery by 8 years. As-treated analyses in the randomized group showed that the early benefit for surgery out to 4 years converged over time, with no significant treatment effect of surgery seen in years 6 to 8 for any of the primary outcomes. In contrast, the observational group showed a stable advantage for surgery in all outcomes between years 5 and 8. Patients who were lost to follow-up were older, less well-educated, sicker, and had worse outcomes during the first 2 years in both surgical and nonoperative arms. Patients with symptomatic spinal stenosis show diminishing benefits of surgery in as-treated analyses of the randomized group between 4 and 8 years, whereas outcomes in the observational group remained stable. Loss to follow-up of patients with worse early outcomes in both treatment groups could lead to overestimates of long-term outcomes but likely not bias treatment effect estimates.

Impact of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted laparoscopic nephrec-tomy on female sexual function and quality of life

Objective To investigate the impact of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endo-scopic surgery（NOTES）-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy on female sexual function and quality of life . Methods This was a prospective study on the change of female sexual function and quality of life of female patients who underwent transvaginal NOTES-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy from May .2011 to Nov. 2012.A total of 42 cases were included in this study （28 of them with severe hydronephrosis , non-functio-ning kidney , 11 with pyelonephrosis , 1 with renal tuberculosis , 1 with duplex kidney complicated with hy-dronephrosis, and 1 with renal angiomyolipoma ）.The mean age was 36.9±5.3 （26-45） years, and the mean body mass index was 21.7±2.6 （14.7 to 27.1） kg/m2.Twenty-four cases were operated on the left side, 18 cases on the right .The female sexual function and quality of life were assessed before and 4 months, 7 months and 1 year after surgery using the Female Sexual Function Index （FSFI） questionnaire and the MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey （SF-36）, respectively. Results The mean FSFI of 42 cases preoperatively and 4 months, 7 months and 1 yr postoperatively were 27.74 ±4.34, 27.19 ±4.49, 28.54±4.23, and 28.68 ±4.19, respectively.There was no statistically significant difference among them （F=1.111, P=0.346）.Compared with that of preoperation , the physical function, vitality, metal health, body pain, and general health of the patients were improved , but the role-physical, role-emotion and social function were not improved at postoperative month 4 and month 7 （P〈0.05）.Each item of SF-36 was im-proved after postoperative 1 year （ P〈0.05） . Conclusions Transvaginal NOTES-assisted laparoscopic ne-phrectomy does not cause negative effect on the female sexual function .The quality of life can be improved after operation .The physical function is improved at early stage , and the psychological function as well . Key words: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery; Transvaginal; Female sexual func-tion; Quality of life

Quality of life and self-esteem in patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinomas: long-term results.

BACKGROUND Cancer is a multifactorial disease and skin carcinomas are the most common type of cancer. Assessing quality of life and self-esteem outcomes in skin cancer patients is important because these are indicators of the results of the treatment, translating how patients face their lives and their personal relationships. OBJECTIVE To assess the late impact of the surgical treatment of head and/or neck skin carcinomas on quality of life and self-esteem of the patients. METHODS Fifty patients with head or neck skin carcinomas were enrolled. Their age ranged between 30 and 75 years, 27 were men and 23 were women. Patients were assessed with regard to quality of life and self-esteem, preoperatively and five years postoperatively. Validated instruments were used: the MOS 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem/EPM-UNIFESP Scale. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS Twenty-two patients completed the five-year follow-up, 54.5% women and 45.5% men. Compared to the preoperative assessment, patients had an improvement in mental health (p=0.011) and in self-esteem (p=0.002). There was no statistical difference with regard to the other domains of the SF-36. CONCLUSION Patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinoma improved mental health and self-esteem in the late postsurgical testing.

FRI0071 Effect of Biological Therapy on Fatigue in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

BackgroundFatigue is a frequent symptom among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and contributes to decreased quality of life in these patients [1].There are various questionnaires to assess fatigue in rheumatic...

Factors Affecting Quality of Life of the Homebound Elderly Hemiparetic Stroke Patients

[Purpose] This study examined the quality of life (QOL) of homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients and factors that affect it. [Subjects] The subjects of the study were 21 homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients who were 65 years old or over and required care for daily living (12 males and 9 females, average age: 79.3 ± 8.4 years old). Their physical and psychological conditions, QOL, and other characteristics were researched. [Methods] The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used for the activities of daily living (ADL) assessment, and the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36, Japanese version 1.2) was used for the QOL assessment. [Results] No correlations were observed between the QOL of homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients and their age and gender. However, the results showed that their QOL was affected by their independence in ADL, bedridden degree, and care-need level. [Conclusion] These results suggest that in order to improve the QOL of homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients, ongoing rehabilitation to improve independence in ADL and lower the bedridden degree and care-need level is required.

Health-related quality of life in 975 patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1

There are limited data available on health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). In the present study we examined QoL in 975 CRPS patients attending 6 different clinics in the Netherlands. QoL was assessed using the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) with the Mental Health Summary Score (MHS) and the Physical Health Summary Score (PHS) as dependent variables. The influences of gender, type of affected limb, disease duration, pain scores, CRPS severity and set of diagnostic criteria used were investigated. We found the lowest scores of QoL in the physical domains of the SF-36, with lower-limb CRPS patients reporting poorer results than patients with an affected upper limb. Influence of gender on QoL was not observed, and correlations of QoL with disease duration and the CRPS severity score were weak. Pain correlated moderately with QoL. In addition, patients fulfilling stricter diagnostic criteria (ie, the Budapest criteria) had lower QoL scores than patients fulfilling less strict criteria (ie, the Orlando criteria). We conclude that loss of QoL in CRPS patients is due mainly to reduced physical health. A comparison with data available from the literature shows that CRPS patients generally report poorer QoL than patients with other chronic pain conditions, particularly in the physical domains. Pain correlated moderately with QoL and therefore deserves ongoing attention by physicians. Finally, patients meeting the diagnostic Budapest criteria have lower QoL scores than patients meeting the Orlando criteria, highlighting the impact of different sets of criteria on population characteristics.

FRI0549 Sleqol is responsive to changes in health-related quality of life due to treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus

BackgroundVarious generic quality-of-life QoL (QoL) scales such as MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and disease-specific ones such as systemic lupus erythematosus QoL (SLEQOL) have been used to study the...

AB0824 Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measured by short-form 36 (SF-36) in early systemic sclerosis patients

BackgroundSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with an impaired quality of life, as assessed by SF-36. There are no studies investigating quality of life in early SSc...

Impact of invasive bladder cancer and orthotopic urinary diversion on general health-related quality of life: An SF-36 survey

Bladder cancer is a common type of genitourinary cancer, and radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is considered to be the most effective local treatment for invasive bladder cancer. In order to assess the functional results and health-related quality of life (QOL) in bladder cancer patients with an orthotopic neobladder, and to provide a reasonable basis for the evaluation of urinary diversion in situ, we conducted a study on 96 neobladder patients. In December, 2011, questionnaires were mailed to 96 patients that had undergone urinary diversion surgery between January, 2007 and December, 2009. The questionnaire included the validated health-related QOL questionnaire and the MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). We compared the functional results between patients with an orthotopic neobladder and those with other types of urinary diversion at 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Data from 82 patients (54 with orthotopic and 28 with non-orthotopic urinary diversion) were included in the analysis. The SF-36 patient scores following orthotopic urinary diversion were significantly higher than those following non-orthotopic urinary diversion. The majority of patients with orthotopic urinary diversion considered themselves as healthy and their scores of total health were higher compared to those of patients with non-orthotopic urinary diversion. However, there were no differences in the scores of physical functioning between patients with orthotopic and those with non-orthotopic urinary diversion. Our findings regarding health-related QOL and the frequency of complications in the orthotopic and the non-orthotopic urinary diversion groups were similar. However, the mental health of patients with orthotopic urinary diversion was more easily restored compared to that of patients with non-orthotopic urinary diversion, which reduced their overall recovery time.

Risk for Adjacent Segment and Same Segment Reoperation After Surgery for Lumbar Stenosis

Subgroup analysis of a prospective, randomized database. Reoperation due to recurrence of index level pathology or adjacent segment disease is a common clinical problem. Despite multiple studies on the incidence of reoperation, there have been few comparative studies establishing risk factors for reoperation after spinal stenosis surgery. The hypothesis of this subgroup analysis was that lumbar fusion or particular patient characteristics, such as obesity, would render patients with lumbar stenosis more susceptible to reoperation at the index or adjacent levels. The study population combined the randomized and observational cohorts enrolled in Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial for treatment of spinal stenosis. The surgically treated patients were stratified according to those who had reoperation (n = 54) or no reoperation (n = 359). Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years. The difference in improvement between those who had reoperation and those who did not was determined at each follow-up period. Of the 413 patients who underwent surgical treatment of spinal stenosis, 54 (13%) underwent a reoperation within 4 years. At baseline, there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or clinical outcome scores between reoperation and nonreoperation groups. Furthermore, between groups there were no differences in the severity of symptoms, obesity, physical examination signs, levels of stenosis, location of stenosis, stenosis severity, levels of fusion, levels of laminectomy, levels decompressed, operation time, and intraoperative or postoperative complications. There was an increased percentage of patients with duration of symptoms greater than 12 months in the reoperation group (56% reoperation vs. 36% no reoperation, P < 0.008). At final follow-up, there was significantly less improvement in the outcome of the reoperation group in MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey physical function (14.4 vs. 22.6, P < 0.05), Oswestry Disability Index (-12.4 vs. -21.1, P < 0.01), and Sciatica Bothersomeness Index (-5 vs. -8.1, P < 0.006). Lumbar fusion and instrumentation were not associated with increased rate of reoperation at index or adjacent levels compared with nonfusion techniques. The only specific risk factor for reoperation after treatment of spinal stenosis was duration of pretreatment symptoms more than 12 months. The overall incidence of reoperations for spinal stenosis surgery was 13%, and reoperations were equally distributed between index and adjacent lumbar levels. Reoperation may be related to the natural history of spinal degenerative disease.

Hand Grip Strength and 2-Minute Walk Test in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease Assessment: Analysis from the Chronic GVHD Consortium

Hand grip strength (HGS) and the 2-minute walk test (2MWT) have been proposed as elements of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) assessment in clinical trials. Using all available data (n = 584 enrollment visits, 1689 follow-up visits, total of 2273 visits) from a prospective observational cohort study, we explored the relationship between HGS and 2MWT and patient-reported measures (Lee symptom scale, MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36], and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy [FACT]-Bone Marrow Transplantation quality of life instruments and Human Activity Profile [HAP]), chronic GVHD global severity (National Institutes of Health global score, clinician global score, and patient-reported global score), calculated and clinician-reported chronic GVHD response, and mortality (overall survival, nonrelapse mortality, and failure-free survival) in multivariable analyses adjusted for significant covariates. 2MWT was significantly associated with intuitive domains of the Lee Symptom Scale (overall, skin, lung, energy), SF-36 domain and summary scores, FACT summary and domain scores, and HAP scores (all P < .001). Fewer associations were detected with the HGS. The 2MWT and HGS both had significant association with global chronic GVHD severity. In multivariable analysis, 2MWT was significantly associated with overall survival, nonrelapse mortality, and failure-free survival, whereas no association was found for HGS. 2MWT and HGS were not sensitive to National Institutes of Health or clinician-reported response. Based on independent association with mortality, these data support the importance of the 2MWT for identification of high-risk chronic GVHD patients. However, change in 2MWT is not sensitive to chronic GVHD response, limiting its usefulness in clinical trials.

Qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pacientes com esclerose múltipla antes do transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas

Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar qualidade de vida (QV) e vulnerabilidade psicológica (ansiedade, depressão e estresse) de pacientes com Esclerose Múltipla (EM) que seriam submetidos ao Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas (TCTH). Participaram do estudo 13 pacientes. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário Genérico de Avaliação de Qualidade de Vida - SF-36, Escala Hospitalar de Ansiedade e Depressão (HAD) e Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para Adultos de Lipp (ISSL). A análise dos dados foi realizada segundo as recomendações específicas de cada instrumento. Os resultados evidenciaram a existência de relação significativa entre prejuízos físicos e mentais impostos pela enfermidade (e/ou pelo transplante) e a instalação de quadros de depressão, ansiedade e estresse nos participantes.