Table 1.
Seropositive | Seronegative | p-level | |
---|---|---|---|
Sex ratio (male:female) | |||
All patients | 1:10.4; N = 137 | 1:1.9; N = 38 | p < 0.0003‡ |
Patients meeting Wingerchuk's 2006 criteria |
1:9.2; N = 92 | 1:2; N = 27 | p < 0.006‡ |
Age at onset (median, range; N) | |||
All patients | 40 (10-81; N = 137) | 38.5 (14-67; N = 38) | n.s.§ |
Patients meeting Wingerchuk's 2006 criteria |
36 (10-79; N = 92) | 37 (14-63; N = 27) | n.s.§ |
Cases of death, attack-related | 5/137 (3.6%)° | 0/38 (0%) | n.s.‡ |
°See results section for causes of death. Four additional patients died from non-attack related causes: One developed sepsis following plasma exchange; another patient with a history of autonomic dysfunction with bradycardia and recent femoral vein thrombosis died from cardiovascular failure 3 days after the second infusion with rituximab [80]; one patient died from voluntary refusal of nutrition and hydration after a severe attack of cervical myelitis that had left her tetraplegic; and one died from an accident. ‡Fisher's exact test (2-tailed). §Mann Whitney U test. N = number of patients; n.s. = not significant.