Table 4.
Baseline patient characteristics in the survival analysis for first severe infection.
| Variable | HCQ group (n = 296) |
Non-HCQ group (n = 436) |
p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, female number (%) | 269 (90.9) | 395 (90.6) | 1.0 |
| Age (years)a | 40 (32–49) | 48 (40–62) | < 0.001 |
| Clinical findings | |||
| SELENA-SLEDAI scorea | 5 (2–8) | 4 (2–6) | < 0.001 |
| SDI scorea | 1 (0–1) | 1 (0–2) | 0.16 |
| Renal findingsb | 0.21 | ||
| No renal involvement (%) | 179 (62.8) | 276 (65.4) | |
| Renal involvement (%) | 100 (35.1) | 129 (30.6) | |
| End-stage renal failure (%) | 6 (2.1) | 17 (4.0) | |
| Glucocorticoid dosea,c | 2.0 (1.8–2.4) | 1.8 (1.4–2.2) | < 0.001 |
| Drugs | |||
| Immunosuppressants, number (%)d | 208 (70.3) | 236 (54.4) | < 0.001 |
| Mycophenolate mofetil (%) | 57 (19.3) | 47 (10.8) | 1.8×10-3 |
| Tacrolimus (%) | 113 (38.2) | 121 (27.8) | 3.9×10-3 |
| Cyclosporine (%) | 16 (5.4) | 30 (6.9) | 0.51 |
| Azathioprine (%) | 31 (10.5) | 53 (12.2) | 0.56 |
| Mizoribine (%) | 6 (2.0) | 19 (4.4) | 0.13 |
| Methotrexate (%) | 9 (3.0) | 14 (3.2) | 1.0 |
| Belimumab (%) | 8 (3.3) | 1 (0.5) | 0.039 |
| Cyclophosphamide (%) | 1 (0.3) | 2 (0.5) | 1.0 |
| Rituximab (%) | 3 (1.0) | 1 (0.2) | 0.31 |
| PCP prophylaxis, number (%) | 75 (25.3) | 79 (18.1) | 0.024 |
| Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (%) | 70 (23.6) | 75 (17.3) | 0.043 |
| Atovaquone (%) | 5 (2.0) | 4 (1.2) | 0.51 |
| Laboratory data | |||
| White blood cells (/μL)a | 5,475 (4,278–7,000) | 5,600 (4,290–7,095) | 0.93 |
| Neutrophils (/μL)a | 3,946 (2,735–5,509) | 3,824 (2,683–5,275) | 0.34 |
| Lymphocyte (/μL)a | 977 (662-1,427) | 1,058 (688-1,554) | 0.14 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL)a | 0.68 (0.59–0.79) | 0.69 (0.59–0.84) | 0.50 |
| CH50 (U/dL)a | 38 (30–48) | 37 (30–45) | 0.36 |
| IgG (mg/dL)a | 1,280 (996–1,535) | 1,360 (1,091–1,717) | 8.9×10-3 |
| Hypo-IgG (%)e | 29 (13.8) | 21 (6.9) | 0.015 |
| HbA1c (%)a | 5.6 (5.3–5.9) | 5.7 (5.4–5.9) | 0.077 |
| Anti-dsDNA antibodies (IU/mL)a | 10 (3.8–25.2) | 5.9 (1.7–12.1) | < 0.001 |
aValues are expressed as median (interquartile range).
bAt least one of the following: urinary cast, proteinuria, hematuria, and pyuria of SELENA-SLEDAI score.
cPrednisolone equivalent dose was log-transformed for statistical analysis.
dAt least one of the following: cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, mizoribine, methotrexate, azathioprine, tacrolimus, cyclosporine, rituximab, or belimumab.
eThe lower reference limit for IgG was set at 870 mg/dL, and hypo-IgG was defined as lower than that value.
HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; SELENA-SLEDAI, SELENA-Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; SDI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index; PCP, Pneumocystis pneumonia.