Table 4.
Patient characteristics of MC + and MC- SLE patients at study entry
| MC + SLE | MC- SLE | all SLE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SEM) |
51.2* (3.4) |
57.1* (3.7) |
55.2 (2.7) |
| min-max |
42-58 |
45-82 |
42-82 |
| 95% CI of SEM |
41.6/60.8 |
48.9/65.5 |
49.8/60.7 |
| Mean age at disease onset (SEM) |
42.6 *(3.8) |
49.1* (4.5) |
46.9 (3.3) |
| min-max |
35-54 |
27-75 |
27-75 |
| 95% CI of SEM |
32.1/53.1 |
39.0/59.2 |
40.0/54.0 |
| Mean age at birth of first son (SEM) |
24.0* (2.4) |
26.4* (1.6) |
24.7 (1.3) |
| min-max |
18-31 |
22-38 |
18-38 |
| 95% CI of SEM |
16.3/31.7 |
22.7/30.1 |
22.8/28.7 |
| ANA titer (Median) |
1:640 |
1:640 |
1:640 |
| (n = 10 MC- n = 4 MC+) |
|
|
|
| min-max |
160-2560 |
160-2560 |
160-2560 |
| dsDNA-antibodies present |
0 / 3 (0%) |
3 / 10 (30%) |
3 / 13 (23%) |
| C3 (g/l) Mean (n = 9 MC-, n = 2 MC+) |
1.47 |
1.28 |
1.32 |
| min-max |
1.45-1.50 |
0.94-1.55 |
0.94-1.55 |
| C4 (g/l) Mean (n = 9 MC-, n = 2 MC+) |
0.28 |
0.23 |
0.24 |
| min-max |
0.22-0.35 |
0.13-0.33 |
0.13-0.35 |
| CH50 Mean (U/ml) |
56.8 |
51.4 |
52.3 |
| (n = 9 MC-, n = 2 MC+) min-max | 52.7-60.9 | 42.1-59.1 | 42.1-60.9 |
Normal ranges: C3 0.9-1.8 g/l; C4 0.1-0.4 g/l; CH50 23–46 U/ml; ANA: 1:80–1:320 (+ - ++), 1:640–1:1280 (+++), >1:2560 (++++); dsDNA Ab: < 100 RE/ml; *p (MC + vs. MC-) not statistically significant.