Table 1.
Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the study subjects
| Characteristics* | SLE
(n=105) |
RA
(n=105) |
Controls
(n=105) |
P† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years) | 51.1 (9.3) | 52.4 (7.8) | 51.6 (8.6) | 0.51 |
| Race (Caucasian) | 101 (96.2%) | 101 (96.2%) | 101 (96.2%) | 0.99 |
| Age at diagnosis (years) | 34.4 (11.3) | 37 (11.3) | - | 0.04 |
| Disease duration (years) | 16.5 (7.2) | 15.7(10.4) | - | 0.27 |
| Postmenopausal | 64 (61%)‡ | 69 (65.7%)‡ | 52 (49.5%) | 0.002 |
| Hypertension | 56 (53.3%)‡ | 29 (27.6%) | 31 (30.1%) | 0.06 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.2 (6.4) | 27.9 (5.9) | 28.4(6.7) | 0.63 |
| The metabolic syndrome | 28 (26.7%) | 24 (22.9%) | 22 (21%) | 0.47 |
| Waist-hip ratio | 0.83 (IQR 0.78-0.87) | 0.84 (IQR 0.79-0.91) | 0.80 (IQR 0.77-0.84) | 0.05 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 121.2 (18.6) | 119.9 (17.3) | 123.1 (17.6) | 0.22 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 76.9 (10.3) | 76.6 (9.6) | 77 (10.1) | 0.84 |
| Glucose (mmol/L) | 4.9 (IQR 4.6-5.3) | 4.8 (IQR 4.4-5.1)‡ | 5.2 (IQR 4.9-5.6) | <0.0001 |
| Insulin (pmol/L) | 82.6 (IQR 63.2-120.8) | 74.3 (IQR 55.6-91) | 79.2(IQR 64.6-102.8) | 0.27 |
| HOMA-IR | 2.6 (IQR 1.9-3.9) | 2.2 (IQR 1.7-2.9) | 2.6 (IQR 2.1-3.6) | 0.04 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 5.1 (1.1) | 5.4 (0.9) | 5.3 (0.9) | 0.80 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 195.1(43.5) | 209.8 (34.5) | 203.6 (36.6) | |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.9 (0.9) | 3.2 (0.9) | 3.2 (0.9) | 0.26 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 113.7 (34.8) | 123 (34.9) | 122.9 (33.3) | |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.4 (0.4) | 1.6 (0.4) | 1.5 (0.4) | 0.80 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 55.5 (16.7) | 60.8 (14.3) | 58.6(15.5) | |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1.5 (0.9) | 1.5(0.9) | 1.3 (0.5) | 0.02 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 134.8 (81.6) | 130.3 (79.8) | 112.7 (48.6) | |
| Current smoker | 8 (7.6%) | 13 (12.4%) | 7 (6.7%) | 0.34 |
| Ever smokers | 37 (35.2%) | 46 (43.8%) | 39 (37.1%) | 0.65 |
| Current medications | ||||
| Corticosteroids | 39 (37.1%) | 46 (43.8%) | - | 0.32 |
| Dosage (mg/day) | 5 (3.1-7.8) | 5 (3-5) | - | 0.87 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 52 (49.5%) | 23 (21.9%) | - | 0.0002 |
| Immunosuppressives | 14 (13.3%) | 63 (60%) | - | <0.0001 |
| Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α | 0 | 41 (39.1%) | - | - |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | 39 (37.1%)‡ | 75 (71.4%)‡ | 13 (12.4%) | <0.0001 |
| Aspirin | 11 (10.5%) | 2 (1.9%) | 8 (7.6%) | 0.64 |
| Hormonal therapy | 13 (12.4%) | 37(35.2%)‡ | 16 (15.2%) | 0.09 |
| Lipid-lowering drug | 9 (8.6%) | 9 (8.6%) | 4 (3.8%) | 0.12 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 2.3 (IQR 1.0-5.6) | 5.2 (IQR 1.9-11.5) ‡ | 1.6 (IQR 0.6-3.7) | <0.0001 |
| Fibrinogen (μmol/L) | 10 (IQR 7.8-11.7) | 9.1 (IQR 7.3-10.9) | 9.7 (IQR 8.7-11.1) | 0.08 |
| Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ng/mL) | 268.7 (IQR 242.9-318.6)‡ | 271.4 (IQR 231.5-338.1)‡ | 249.5 (IQR 219.7-276.1) | <0.0001 |
| Homocysteine (μmol/L) | 69.5 (IQR 59.9-85.8) | 79.1 (IQR 66.6-95.4) ‡ | 65.8 (IQR 54.7-75.4) | 0.002 |
*
Values are mean (SD) or median (interquartile range/IQR: 25th-75th)
†
Comparison between SLE and RA vs. control groups; or comparison between SLE and RA groups when control group is not present
‡
p<0.02 vs. control