Table 2.
Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients according to the number of attacks prior to LD-RTX therapy initiation.
| Characteristic | One attack (N=33) | At least two attacks (N=75) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female, n (%) | 29 (87.9) | 67 (89.3) | 1.000 |
| Age at onset, year, median (IQR) | 49.0 (31.0–53.0) | 38.0 (27.0–49.0) | 0.024 |
| Serum AQP4-IgG positive, n (%) | 33 (100.0) | 59 (78.7) | 0.002 |
| Clinical phenotype of the first attack | |||
| Myelitis, n (%) | 19 (57.6) | 37 (49.3) | 0.531 |
| Optic neuritis, n (%) | 8 (24.2) | 26 (34.7) | 0.370 |
| Area postrema syndrome, n (%) | 4 (12.1) | 8 (10.7) | 1.000 |
| Acute brainstem syndrome, n (%) | 1 (3.0) | 2 (2.7) | 1.000 |
| Cerebral syndrome, n (%) | 0 (0) | 2 (2.7) | 1.000 |
| Myelitis and optic neuritis, n (%) | 1 (3.0) | 0 (0) | 0.306 |
| Number of attacks pre-RTX, median (IQR) | 1 (1–1) | 3 (2–4) | NA |
| Number of relapses post-RTX, median (IQR) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0.767 |
| Disease duration pre-RTX, month, median (IQR) | 1.0 (1.0–2.5) | 32.0 (13.0–80.0) | <0.001 |
| Disease duration post-RTX, month, median (IQR) | 33.0 (20.0–47.0) | 37.0 (23.0–49.0) | 0.401 |
| ARR pre-RTX, median (IQR) | NA | 1.1 (0.8–2.1) | NA |
| ARR post-RTX, median (IQR) | 0 (0–0.2) | 0 (0–0.2) | 0.785 |
| EDSS pre-RTX, median (IQR) | 3.0 (2.5–4.0) | 3.5 (2.0–4.5) | 0.752 |
| EDSS post-RTX, median (IQR) | 2.0 (1.0–2.0) | 2.0 (1.0–3.5) | 0.870 |
| Side effect, n (%) | 8 (24.2) | 14 (18.7) | 0.605 |
ARR, annualized relapse rate; AQP4, aquaporin-4; EDSS, expanded disability status scale; IQR, interquartile range; RTX, rituximab. NA, not applicable.