Quinkler M, Kienitz T. The ISAQ Score Does Not Predict Adrenal Crisis in Patients with Primary Adrenal Insufficiency.
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022;
130:554-560. [PMID:
35240692 DOI:
10.1055/a-1734-2466]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the ability of the immune system assessment questionnaire (ISAQ) to predict adrenal crisis (AC) and infectious events in patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI).
DESIGN
This was a prospective single-centre study over three years.
METHODS
Patients answered the ISAQ at baseline and were seen every 4-6 months in the endocrine outpatient clinic. At each visit previous infectious periods which required an increase in daily glucocorticoid dosage and AC were reported and documented. Seventy-five patients with PAI (53 women; 43 patients with autoimmune PAI, 20 patients with salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia and 12 patients who underwent bilateral adrenalectomy) were analysed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and consecutive lockdown measures, the data were analysed separately for March 2018 to March 2020 (period 1), and March 2020 to March 2021 (period 2).
RESULTS
During period 1 the ISAQ score significantly correlated with the number of reported infectious events (r=0.351; p<0.01), but not during period 2 (r=0.059, p=0.613), in which the number of infectious events per patient-year significantly decreased (1.1±0.1 vs 0.4±0.1; p<0.001). The frequency of AC decreased from 8.8 to 2.4 per 100 patient-years between the two study periods. The ISAQ score was not different between patients with or without AC.
CONCLUSIONS
The ISAQ score does not identify patients prone to ACs. The COVID-19 pandemic and consecutive lockdown measures significantly diminished the frequency of infectious events and ACs.
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