Table 4.

Dose–response relationships between the dosages of MMF use and risks of infections in patients with SLE

Variable	Patients with infection, n (%) (n = 1577)	Patients without infection, n (%) (n = 1762)	OR (95% CI)	Adjusted OR (95% CI)
Overall infection
Non-use	1323 (44.7)	1640 (55.3)	1.00	1.00
< 1 g/day	69 (67.0)	34 (33.0)	2.52 (1.66, 3.82)	2.03 (1.31, 3.16)
≥ 1 g/day	185 (67.8)	88 (32.2)	2.61 (2.00, 3.39)	1.85 (1.39, 2.46)
P for trend			< 0.001	< 0.001
MMF dose (continuous, g/day)			1.90 (1.60, 2.27)	1.48 (1.23, 1.79)
Bacterial infection
Non-use	765 (31.8)	1640 (68.2)	1.00	1.00
< 1 g/day	34 (47.2)	38 (52.8)	2.40 (1.50, 3.84)	2.20 (1.32, 3.67)
≥ 1 g/day	88 (44.7)	109 (55.3)	2.66 (1.98, 3.56)	2.02 (1.45, 2.80)
P for trend			< 0.001	< 0.001
MMF dose (continuous, g/d)			1.89 (1.56, 2.29)	1.58 (1.27, 1.95)
Virus infection
Non-use	207 (11.2)	1640 (88.8)	1.00	1.00
< 1 g/day	10 (22.7)	34 (77.3)	2.33 (1.14, 4.79)	2.12 (0.98, 4.58)
≥ 1 g/day	26 (22.8)	88 (77.2)	2.34 (1.48, 3.71)	1.85 (1.10, 3.10)
P for trend			< 0.001	0.008
MMF dose (continuous, g/day)			1.73 (1.30, 2.31)	1.54 (1.11, 2.13)
Opportunistic infection
Non-use	132 (7.4)	1640 (92.6)	1.00	1.00
< 1 g/day	12 (26.1)	34 (73.9)	4.39 (2.22, 8.67)	3.21 (1.55, 6.67)
≥ 1 g/day	19 (17.8)	88 (82.2)	2.68 (1.58, 4.54)	1.73 (0.96, 3.09)
P for trend			< 0.001	0.014
MMF dose (continuous, g/day)			1.91 (1.37, 2.65)	1.46 (1.00, 2.12)

OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval. Multivariable analysis models were adjusted for sex (female = 1, male = 0), age (continuous), SLE disease period years (continuous), SLEDAI score on admission (continuous), hypertension (yes = 1, no = 0), diabetes mellitus (yes = 1, no = 0), mean daily prednisone equivalent dose (continuous), CYC treatment (yes = 1, no = 0), TAC treatment (yes = 1, no = 0), and other immunosuppressants (yes = 1, no = 0)