Table 1.
Comparisons of characteristics between patients treated with early fast‐acting treatment (EFT) and non‐EFT strategies (Mann–Whitney U‐test)
|
EFT group (n = 249) |
Non‐EFT group (n = 439) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56.6 ± 17.5 | 58.3 ± 15.0 |
| Women (%)a | 71.9 (179/249) | 67.9 (298/439) |
| Duration of immune treatment (years) | 6.1 ± 5.0d | 11.1 ± 8.8 |
| Age at onset (years) | 49.2 ± 18.3 | 43.9 ± 17.8 |
| Thymectomy (%)a | 56.6 (141/249) | 63.6 (279/439) |
| Thymoma (%)a | 31.3 (78/249) | 23.0 (101/439) |
| AChR‐Ab positivity (%)a | 81.9 (204/249) | 85.0 (373/439) |
| MuSK‐Ab positivity (%)a | 4.8 (12/249) | 2.5 (11/439) |
| MGFA classification (%)a (worst, II/III/IV/V) | 42.2/31.3/9.2/17.3d | 62.2/23.0/4.3/10.5 |
| Bulbar symptoms (%)a (worst) | 75.5 (188/249)d | 58.8 (258/439) |
| Current QMG | 7.1 ± 5.5b | 7.6 ± 4.8 |
| Current MG‐QOL15‐J | 13.9 ± 11.4b | 15.2 ± 9.9 |
| MM or better at a dose ≤5 mg for ≥6 months, current status (%)a | 49.4 (123/249)c | 42.1 (185/439) |
EFT, early fast‐acting treatment; AChR‐Ab, autoantibodies against the acetylcholine receptor; MGFA, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America; MG‐QOL15‐J, 15‐item MG‐Specific QOL Scale—Japanese version; MM, minimal manifestations; MuSK‐Ab, autoantibodies against muscle‐specific tyrosine kinase; QMG, MGFA quantitative MG score.
a
Chi‐square test.
b
P < 0.05 vs. non‐EFT group.
c
P < 0.001 vs. non‐EFT group.
d
P < 0.0001 vs. non‐EFT group.