Table 2.
Patient clinical characteristics
| Characteristic | Patients (N = 92) |
|---|---|
| Age at initiation of eculizumab therapy, years | |
| Mean (SD) | 56.5 (16.2) |
| Median (IQR) | 56 (43–68) |
| Time from diagnosis to eculizumab initiation, years, mean (SD) | 8.9 (9.9) |
| MG-ADL score before eculizumab initiationa | |
| Mean (SD) | 7.6 (3.6) |
| Median (IQR) | 8.0 (5.0–10.0) |
| MGFA classification at eculizumab initiation, n (%) | |
| Class I | 7 (7.6) |
| Class II | 23 (25.0) |
| Class III | 29 (31.5) |
| Class IV | 3 (3.3) |
| Class V | 0 |
| Unknown | 30 (32.6) |
| AChR antibody status tested before eculizumab initiation, n (%) | 91 (98.9) |
| Seropositive | 90 (97.8) |
| Seronegative | 1 (1.1) |
| Unknown | 1 (1.1) |
| Meningococcal vaccination ≥ 14 days before eculizumab initiation, n (%) | |
| Yes | 89 (96.7) |
| Nob | 3 (3.3) |
| Treatment for MG before eculizumab initiation,c n (%) | |
| Prednisone | 56 (60.9) |
| NSIST | 50 (54.3) |
| Rituximab | 4 (4.3) |
| Pyridostigmine | 75 (81.5) |
| Chronic IVIg | 35 (38.0) |
| Chronic PLEX | 7 (7.6) |
| None of the above | 2 (2.2) |
AChR acetylcholine receptor, IQR interquartile range, IVIg intravenous immunoglobulin, MG myasthenia gravis, MG-ADL Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living, MGFA Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, NSIST non-steroidal immunosuppressant therapy, PLEX plasma exchange, SD standard deviation
aMost recent score before eculizumab initiation; n = 71
bOf the three patients reported as not receiving a meningococcal vaccination, two received prophylactic antibiotics in order to start eculizumab immediately and discontinued the antibiotics ≥ 14 days after vaccination, and one patient was reported to have not received prophylactic antibiotics
cIn the 24 months before eculizumab initiation