Table 3. Comparison of demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings in patients with and without neuropathic pain.
* p-values showing statistically significant results.
Continuous data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (IQR).
AZA: azathioprine, BMI: body mass index, BVAS: Birmingham vasculitis activity score, CS: corticosteroid, CYC: cyclophosphamide, EGPA: eosinophilic granulomatous polyangiitis, GPA: granulomatous polyangiitis, MCS: mental component summary, MMF: mycophenolate mofetil, MPA: microscopic polyangiitis, MTX: methotrexate, PCS: physical component summary, RTX: rituximab, SF-36: Short Form-36, UIBC: unsaturated iron binding capacity
| Variables | Without NeP (n=22) | With NeP (n=8) | p-value |
| Age, years | 50.8±13.5 | 57.5±15.5 | 0.525 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 13 (59.1) | 5 (62.5) | 0.604 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 27.1±4.5 | 26.3±4.0 | 0.644 |
| Disease duration, months | 78.6±34.4 | 70.0±46.0 | 0.583 |
| Diseases, n (%) | |||
| GPA | 14 (63.6) | 5 (62.5) | 0.990 |
| MPA | 5 (22.8) | 2 (25) | - |
| EGPA | 3 (13.6) | 1 (12.5) | - |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||
| Hypertension | 9 (40.9) | 4 (50) | 0.698 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 4 (18.2) | 3 (37.5) | 0.345 |
| Chronic respiratory diseases | 7 (31.8) | 2 (25) | 0.547 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 4 (18.2) | 2 (25) | 0.645 |
| Osteoporosis | 8 (36.4) | 2 (25) | 0.682 |
| Coronary artery disease | 1 (4.5) | 1 (12.5) | 0.469 |
| Treatment ever used, n (%) | |||
| MTX | 20 (90.9) | 5 (62.5) | 0.102 |
| AZA | 17 (77.3) | 7 (87.5) | 1.000 |
| MMF | 21 (95.5) | 7 (87.5) | 0.469 |
| CYC | 3 (13.6) | 3 (37.5) | 0.300 |
| RTX | 7 (31.8) | 5 (62.5) | 0.210 |
| CS | 22 (100) | 8 (100) | 1.000 |
| Disease activity at the time of evaluation, n (%) | |||
| Active disease | 7 (31.8) | 2 (25) | 0.547 |
| Remission | 15 (68.2) | 6 (75) | - |
| BVAS | 2(5) | 6(7) | 0.208 |
| Presence of persistent organ damage, n (%) | 11 (50) | 8 (100) | 0.014* |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 14.1±2.4 | 13.2±2.3 | 0.403 |
| Vitamin D, ng/mL | 21.2±9.7 | 23.2±10.8 | 0.639 |
| Vitamin B12, pg/mL | 347.5 (198) | 488 (231.2) | 0.872 |
| Folic acid, ng/mL | 7.6±3.4 | 8.4±4.1 | 0.607 |
| Iron, µg/dL | 73.5±43.6 | 65.9±47.8 | 0.684 |
| UIBC, µg/dL | 234.4±62.0 | 252.0±87.7 | 0.544 |
| SF-36 questionnaire | |||
| Physical functioning | 90 (25) | 82.5 (60) | 0.787 |
| Role limitations due to physical health | 100 (56.3) | 0 (68.8) | 0.829 |
| Role limitations due to emotional problems | 100 (0) | 49.9 (100) | 0.229 |
| Energy fatigue | 55.5±22.9 | 47.5±13.9 | 0.368 |
| Emotional well-being | 72 (29) | 48 (37) | 0.872 |
| Social functioning | 93.8 (37.5) | 56.3 (25) | 0.914 |
| Pain | 78.8 (42.5) | 45 (53.8) | 0.829 |
| General health | 56.4±14.1 | 34.4±13.2 | 0.001* |
| Health change | 50 (27.5) | 50 (18.8) | 0.872 |
| SF-36-PCS | 79.1 (31.3) | 44.4 (43.9) | 0.829 |
| SF-36-MCS | 71.4±17.5 | 52.6±21.2 | 0.021* |