RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Modification and validation of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (version 3)
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 1827
OP 1832
DO 10.1136/ard.2008.101279
VO 68
IS 12
A1 C Mukhtyar
A1 R Lee
A1 D Brown
A1 D Carruthers
A1 B Dasgupta
A1 S Dubey
A1 O Flossmann
A1 C Hall
A1 J Hollywood
A1 D Jayne
A1 R Jones
A1 P Lanyon
A1 A Muir
A1 D Scott
A1 L Young
A1 R A Luqmani
YR 2009
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/68/12/1827.abstract
AB Background: Comprehensive multisystem clinical assessment using the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity score (BVAS) is widely used in therapeutic studies of systemic vasculitis. Extensive use suggested a need to revise the instrument. The previous version of BVAS has been revised, according to usage and reviewed by an expert committee.Objective: To modify and validate version 3 of the BVAS in patients with systemic vasculitis.Methods: The new version of BVAS was tested in a prospective cross-sectional study of patients with vasculitis.Results: The number of items was reduced from 66 to 56. The subscores for new/worse disease and persistent disease were unified. In 313 patients with systemic vasculitis, BVAS(v.3) correlated with treatment decision (Spearman’s rs = 0.66, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.72), BVAS1 of version 2 (rs = 0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.96), BVAS2 of version 2 in patients with persistent disease (rs = 0.60, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.83), C-reactive protein levels (rs = 0.43, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.54), physician’s global assessment (rs = 0.91, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.93) and vasculitis activity index (rs = 0.88, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.91). The intraclass correlation coefficients for reproducibility and repeatability were 0.96 (95% CI 0.95 to 0.97) and 0.96 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.97), respectively. In 39 patients assessed at diagnosis and again at 3 months, the BVAS(v.3) fell by 17 (95% CI 15 to 19) units (p<0.001, paired t test).Conclusion: BVAS(v.3) demonstrates convergence with BVAS(v.2), treatment decision, physician global assessment of disease activity, vasculitis activity index and C-reactive protein. It is repeatable, reproducible and sensitive to change. The new version of BVAS is validated for assessment of systemic vasculitis.