Table III.

Drug therapy content in SLE patients with positive and negative RF

	Total number(n = 206)	SLE patients with presence of RF (n = 57)	SLE patients with absence of RF (n = 149)	p-value*
Do not receive treatment [n (%)]	34 (16.5)	10 (17.5)	24 (16.1)	0.968
Oral GCs [n (%)]	165 (80.1)	44 (77.2)	121 (81.2)	0.653
Dose of GC (for prednisone) [mg/day]	10 (5–20)	10 (10–25)	10 (7.5–20)	0.398
Aminoquinoline drugs [n (%)]	111 (53.9)	31 (54.4)	80 (53.7)	0.944
Cyclophosphamide [n (%)]	11 (5.3)	4 (7.3)	7 (4.8)	0.727
Mycophenolate mofetil [n (%)]	20 (9.7)	6 (10.9)	14 (9.5)	0.976
Azathioprine [n (%)]	15 (7.3)	2 (3.6)	13 (8.8)	0.304
Methotrexate [n (%)]	11 (5.3)	3 (5.5)	8 (5.4)	0.727
Rituximab [n (%)]	5 (2.4)	1 (1.8)	4 (2.7)	0.905

^*Difference between patients with SLE with increased and normal RF levels.

GC – glucocorticosteroids.