A cross-sectional study on the association of anxiety and depression with the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus

Anxiety and Depression and Associated Risk Factors among Outpatients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Although mood disorders are prevalent among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, they are usually underrecognized. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Saudi SLE patients.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among SLE patients from July 2022 to June 2023 in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect the data through validated tools including the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale-A and the Beck Depression Inventory score.

RESULTS

There were 133 females (91.7%) and 12 males (8.3%) included in this study. Based on the HAM-A score, 45.5% of participants had an anxiety disorder, and according to the BDI score, 46.2% had a depression disorder. Anxiety and depression were significantly associated with a longer duration of SLE, unemployment status, smoking, and the presence of comorbidities. Moreover, the present study found a significant association between depression and male gender.

CONCLUSION

This study found that Saudi SLE patients have a high prevalence of both anxiety and depression. Therefore, SLE patients should be screened for neuropsychiatric disorders during routine follow-ups and managed as early as possible.

Lupus-Induced Accelerated Heart Failure in a Young African American Female: Cardiovascular and Systemic Complications of Noncompliance to Maintenance Therapy and the Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder characterized by dysregulations of the immune system with intermittent and remitting symptoms. SLE affects multiple organs and systems, including the cardiovascular system. This condition is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in younger patients. Our case report describes a patient who rapidly developed structural, functional, and electrophysiological cardiac abnormalities due to lupus-induced cardiomyopathy. The accelerating cardiac events were the result of medication noncompliance. Myocarditis and other potentially fatal cardiac complications associated with SLE have been the subject of numerous studies. This presentation appears to be the first to emphasize the rarity of lupus-induced cardiomyopathy, the importance of treatment adherence, the adverse cardiac effects of targeted therapeutic interventions, and the influence of social determinants of cardiovascular health on a patient's prognosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus and damage: What has changed over the past 20 years?

The young age of onset and chronic/relapsing nature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) make SLE patients prone to develop and accrue organ damage as a result of long-standing disease activity and side effects of treatment. There is a growing interest in objectifying damage and identifying its risk factors. Still, the lack of therapeutic alternatives has led to difficulties in avoiding immunosuppressives particularly corticosteroids, which have been implicated in a large spectrum of organ damage in SLE patients. Moreover, it continues to be very challenging to determine what actually causes damage in different organ-systems. Cardiovascular disease continues to be one of the leading types of damage in patients with SLE, reported as early as 1976. Since then, many researchers have focused on identifying SLE or treatment-related and traditional risk factors. The same considerations are valid for other conditions, such as the occurrence of metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, avascular necrosis, susceptibility to infections, etc. On the other hand, diverse risk factors contribute to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in SLE. Most evidence suggests that high initial levels of serum creatinine, hypocomplementemia, nephrotic range proteinuria, concomitant uncontrolled hypertension, Black and Hispanic ancestry, non-adherence to treatment, and biopsy findings such as diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (LN), a high chronicity index, tubular atrophy, and tubulointerstitial inflammation are risk factors for progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD) in LN. While cardiovascular disease, CKD and infections are leading causes of mortality in patients with SLE, hospitalizations are caused mostly by SLE disease flares and infections. Cognitive impairment and mood disorders are common in SLE but continue to impose a challenge on how to measure, manage and decipher the underlying pathogenesis. Nevertheless, they have a great impact on SLE patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social functioning. Also, skin manifestations, such as alopecia and scaring, cataracts, and sicca symptoms result in a significant decrease in HRQoL. In light of recent developments in SLE treatment, we can expect to enter a period of new-age targeted therapies that will enable us to reduce disease activity and glucocorticoid usage further and positively alter the trajectory of damage development and accrual in SLE.

Association between depression and pain, functional disability, disease activity and health-related quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of depression on pain, disease activity, functional disability and health-related quality of life measured by Visual Analogue Scale, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire and Short Form-36 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

DESIGN

Meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for obtaining available studies from inception to 7 March 2023.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Studies evaluating the impact of depression on pain, disease activity, functional disability and quality of life were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two authors independently screened publications and extracted data according to set inclusion and exclusion criteria. Statistical analyses were conducted with RevMan V.5.3.0. Data were pooled using a fixed-effects or random-effects model according to heterogeneity.

RESULTS

A total of 13 identified studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting on a total of 1911 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The Visual Analogue Scale score was significantly higher in patients with depression than those without depression (standardised mean difference (SMD)=0.84 (95% CI 0.27 to 1.42), p=0.004). The Health Assessment Questionnaire score was significantly higher in patients with depression than those without depression (SMD=1.05 (95% CI 0.14 to 1.95), p<0.05). The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score was significantly higher in patients with depression than those without depression (SMD=0.46 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.64), p<0.00001). Scores in most Short Form-36 dimensions (physical function, role physical function, emotional role function, vitality, mental health, social function, general health, physical component scale, mental component scale) were lower in patients with depression than those without depression.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis showed that depression was associated with increased in pain, functional disability and disease activity, and decline in health-related quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Awareness of the importance of the relationship between depression in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and pain, functional disability and the quality of life might assist rheumatology physicians and nurses in assessing and preventing these symptoms.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021265694.

[Mental disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: association with activity and the course of rheumatic disease]

AIM

To clarify the relationship between the clinical and psychopathological features of mental disorders, clinical and laboratory manifestations of activity and the nature of the course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 119 patients - 98 (82.4%) women, mean age 36.5±12.4 years (M±SD) - with a reliable diagnosis of SLE (EULAR/ACR 2019 criteria), 51 (29.5%) of them - with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome - APS (International criteria of 2006).

RESULTS

Among patients with SLE a high frequency of anxiety-depressive spectrum disorders (ADSD) and cognitive impairment (CI) was revealed. There was an association of greater severity of depression with high SLE activity index, acute/subacute onset of the disease course according to the classification of V.A. Nasonova, relapsing-remitting and chronic active current disease activity patterns of SLE according to the classification of S. Barr - M. Petri. Anxiety disorders were associated with subacute onset and relapsing-remitting disease activity patterns of SLE and were not associated with SLE activity index. Bipolar disorder was detected more often in patients with chronic SLE. Acute psychosis/delirium was associated with acute onset of SLE. Organic CI was associated with APS, chronic onset and long quiescent disease activity patterns of SLE. The episindrome and schizotypal disorder in patients with SLE are more often caused by concomitant APS.

CONCLUSION

Patients with high SLE activity index should be of particular concern to rheumatologists regarding the diagnosis of depressive disorders. Patients with concomitant APS need timely diagnosis and treatment of CI and episindrome in order to improve the prognosis of the disease and the overall quality of life.

Correlation Analysis Between Disease Activity and Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Disturbance, and Quality of Life in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective

To explore the correlation between disease activity and anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods

The disease activity of IBD patients was evaluated by 66 gastroenterologists from 42 hospitals in 22 provinces in China from September 2021 to May 2022. Anxiety, depression, sleep quality and quality of life of IBD patients were investigated and statistically analyzed by different scales, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (IBD-Q).

Results

A total of 2478 IBD patients were included, of which 1532 (61.8%) were in active stage and 946 (38.2%) were in remission. The proportions of active IBD with anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and poor quality of life were 29.5%, 29.7%, 71.1%, and 50.1%, respectively, while the proportions of remission IBD with anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and poor quality of life were 19.1%, 24.4%, 69.3%, and 17.4%, respectively. IBD patients who also had anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and poor quality of life had 80 cases (8.46%) in remission and 114 cases (7.44%) in active stage, with 54 cases (9.18%) in mild activity, 51 cases (6.95%) in moderate activity and 9 cases (4.49%) in severe activity. IBD patients with different disease activity levels differed in GAD-7 scores, PHQ-9 scores, PSQI scores, and IBD-Q scores (all P<0.001). In IBD patients, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, which interact with each other, can further aggravate their disease activity (all P<0.001).

Conclusion

Anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and quality of life are strongly correlated with disease activity in IBD patients, and IBD patients with psychological disturbances are most often in the active stage and have a poor quality of life.

Association between Inflammation and Thrombotic Pathway Link with Pathogenesis of Depression and Anxiety in SLE Patients

As a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the neuropsychiatric form may manifest with neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Diagnosing neuropsychiatric SLE can be challenging due to the heterogeneity of this disease manifestation and the possibilities of investigation. This research aims to identify the possible associations between inflammation and thrombotic biomarkers alongside anxiety and/or depression manifestations in SLE patients. A group of 65 outpatients were investigated regarding the levels of depression, anxiety, disability, quality of life and other specific serum biomarkers linked with inflammation or coagulopathies. The results showed severe depression in eight participants, moderate depression in 22 (33.85%), and 26 (40%) subjects with mild depression. Anxiety was more prevalent within 64 participants (98.46%), while a degree of disability was reported by 52 participants (80%). Quality of life evaluated by EQ5D revealed a medium value of 1.57, and EQ5D VAS health medium value was 57.95 and was correlated with anxiety. A strong positive correlation between depression, anxiety and antibodies associated with anti-cardiolipin and anti beta2 glycoprotein I antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, ICAM-1, low C4 a and anti-ribosomal P antibodies were identified. These data results suggest that autoimmune/inflammatory and ischemic/thrombotic pathways could contribute to depression and anxiety as neuropsychiatric SLE manifestations.

Lipidomics Changes in a Murine Model of Neuropsychiatric Lupus

Purpose

Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) is one of the important manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Previous studies mainly focused on the disruption of the blood-brain barrier and the production of brain-reactive autoantibodies, However, there is no comprehensive lipidomic analysis in NPSLE. Therefore, this research evaluated the lipidomic analysis in the hippocampus and liver of NPSLE mice with mood disorders, to explore the influence of the liver-brain axis on this disease.

Methods

MRL/lpr mice and MRL/mpj mice were respectively used as NPSLE and control groups. Behavioral tests and systemic disease characteristics of mice were assessed at the age of 18 weeks. Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used for lipid metabolite determination. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify lipid metabolites that were differentially expressed in two groups.

Results

Our results showed that 355 and 405 lipid metabolites were differentially expressed between the NPSLE and control groups in the hippocampus and liver. According to the pathway enrichment analysis, several pathways were affected, and the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway was most relevant to the mouse's depressive behavior.

Conclusion

Based on UPLC-MS/MS, the results provide evidence for how the liver-brain axis affects NPSLE and improve the understanding of NPSLE pathogenesis.