Session Information
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Session Title: Vasculitis – Non-ANCA-Associated & Related Disorders Poster III: Giant Cell Arteritis
Session Type: Poster Session (Tuesday)
Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM
Background/Purpose: To investigate the relationship between demographical, clinical, laboratory and imaging data and survival in patients with large vessel giant cell arteritis (LVGCA) in a defined area of Northern Italy.
Methods: All patients with incident LVGCA diagnosed between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2016 and living in the Reggio Emilia area, were identified by capture and re-capture checking of computerized discharge diagnosis codes (ICD10) and using outpatients databases from rheumatology, internal medicine, surgery, pathology, imaging departments of Reggio Emilia Hospital as well as by examining the Reggio Emilia district database for rare diseases. To be included in the study, patients must satisfy the following 2 criteria: age at disease onset ≥50 years; evidence of large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) by clinical criteria, angiography, MRA, CTA, PET/CT and/or ultrasonography. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging data collected at first visit and during follow-up (FU) were retrived from patients records. For each case, we identified one control from the same geographic area matched for age and gender. Mortality rates and specific causes of death were reported and compared between cases and controls. Demographical, clinical laboratory and imaging data entered in a Cox proportional regression analysis (CPRA) along with total corticosteroid (CS) cumulative dose, first 6 and 12 months cumulative CS dose, number of flares, and disease remission during the FU period.
Results: There were 93 incident cases of LVGCA (71% women, mean ± SD age at diagnosis 72 ± 9 years, mean duration of FU 65 + 38 months) with complete clinical, laboratory and survival data during the 12-year study period. During the FU period, 16 (17%) patients died (mean survival time from disease onset 16 + 12 months). At univariate analysis (UVA) factors significantly linked to survival (p< 0.05) were the presence of hypertrigliceridemia (HTG) and the involvement of brachio-cephalic artery (BCA). All the variables with a value of p< 0.20 at UVA (HTG, BCA, hypertension, concomitant PMR, cumulative CS dose at 6 and 12 months and aortic involvement) entered in a CPRA but none of them maintained statistical significance. Survival of LVGCA patients was not different from controls (logrank=0.004, p=0.947). The most frequent causes of death were cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases. No significant differences in causes of death were observed comparing the patients with control population.
Conclusion: In an incident cohort of LVGCA we have not found any correlation between baseline and follow up clinical, demographical, laboratory and imaging data with survival.
Patients with LVCGA have no difference of survival time and causes of death with the control population.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Boiardi L, Catanoso M, Restuccia G, Muratore F, Macchioni P, Salvarani C. Survival of Large Vessel Giant Cell Arteritis in Northern Italy During a 26-year Period : No Correlation with Demographical, Clinical, Laboratory and Imaging Data [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019; 71 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/survival-of-large-vessel-giant-cell-arteritis-in-northern-italy-during-a-26-year-period-no-correlation-with-demographical-clinical-laboratory-and-imaging-data/. Accessed March 3, 2021.« Back to 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/survival-of-large-vessel-giant-cell-arteritis-in-northern-italy-during-a-26-year-period-no-correlation-with-demographical-clinical-laboratory-and-imaging-data/