The relationship between pulmonary function and exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects particularly sacroiliac joints, axial skeleton and peripheric joints like shoulders and hips with an unknown etiology. AS causes restrictive respiratory disorder by limiting the expansion of the chest because of the costosternal and costovertebral joints. Our study is planned to evaluate the respiratory functions of the AS patients who have a high rate of pulmonary involvement, and to compare the results with the exercise capacity and life quality of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 27 (18 M, 9 F) Norvegian patients who came to Balçova Thermal Hotel and had AS diagnose according to Modified New York Criterias, to have a routine physical therapy and rehabilitation programme with an average age of 50.56±6.64. The patients? clinical histories were taken. Pulmonary function tests were performed with spirometry and pulmonary muscle strength was measured with mouth pressure measure. 6 minute walk test was performed to determine exercise capacity and Short Form-36 Life Quality Questionairre was used to evaluate life quality of the patients. RESULTS: The patients had 18.85±10.64 average diagnose year and the expected FEV1 value of the patients was 3.75±0.88 lt/sec, FEV1/FVC ratio was 80.44±6.42, PImax was 62.96±20.61 and PEmax was 80.22±21.12. 40.7 % of the patients had positive smoking history while 14.8 % had difficulty in breathing and 11.1 % had symptoms of caughingsputum. Walking distance was 595.5±83.20 m. Life quality category scores were 42.82±16.78 minimally, 83.58±23.06 maximally. CONCLUSION: Respiratory and other parameters were high related to high standarts in treatment and following of the subjects in Norway. Accordingly, it is thought that an appropriate treatment and following of the patients reduce the negative effects of AS on respiratory system.