Table 2.
Clinical and laboratory variables in patients with SLE
| Variable | PRES/SLE (n = 14) (n, %) | Remission SLE (n = 6) (n, %) | Active SLE (n = 6) (n, %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comorbidities (prior to event of PRES or venipuncture) | |||
| Type 2 diabetes | 1 (7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Hypertension | 5 (35) | 0 (0) | 1 (16) |
| Dyslipidaemia * | 2 (14) | 1 (16) | 1 (16) |
| Smoking † | 2 (14) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Lupus nephritis ‡ | 5 (35) | 0 (0) | 1 (16) |
| sAPS | 1 (7) | 0 (0) | 2 (33) |
| Positive APS serology § | 4 (28) | 1 (16) | 4 (66) |
| At PRES event (or venipuncture) | |||
| Immunosuppressive treatment | 12 (85) | 0 (0) | 4 (66) |
| Prednisone | 7 (50) | – | 3 (50) |
| Prednisone dose (mean ± s.e.m.) (mg) | 23·7 ± 6·9 | – | 26 ± 11·6 |
| Cyclophosphamide | 2 (14) | – | 1 (16) |
| Azathioprine | 2 (14) | – | 3 (50) |
| Mycophenolate Mofetil | 0 (0) | – | 0 (0) |
| High blood pressure ¶ | 11 (78) | 0 (0) | 1 (16) |
| High serum creatinine** | 5 (35) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Low C3 levels †† | 8 (57) | – | 3 (50) |
| Low C4 levels ‡‡ | 9 (64) | – | 6 (100) |
| Positive anti‐dsDNA §§ | 6 (42) | – | 6 (100) |
*Defined as hypercholesterolaemia ≥ 200 mg/dl and or hypertriglyceridaemia ≥ 150 mg/dl. †Current or active in the past 5 years. ‡Proved by biopsy. §Positive antibodies regardless of clinical manifestations. ¶Defined as blood pressure ≥ 150/90 mmHg. **Defined as serum creatinine ≥ 2·5 mg/dl. ††Defined as C3 levels ≤ 87 g/l. ‡‡Defined as C4 levels ≤ 19 g/l. §§Defined as anti‐dsDNA two times above the upper limit (9·6 UI). Anti‐dsDNA = anti‐double‐stranded DNA antibodies; sAPS = secondary anti‐phospholipid syndrome; s.e.m. = standard error of the mean; PRES = posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome; SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus.