Table 3.

Relationship between groups of auto-antibodies and MRI-brain lesions in 325 SLE patients

	WMH	Ischemic changesb			Inflammatory-like changes	Atrophyc
	Fazekasd	Lacunar infarcts	CMBs	Gliosis
	OR (95% CI)	OR (95% CI)	OR (95% CI)	OR (95% CI)	OR (95% CI)	OR (95% CI)
Antiphospholipid antibodies (0–3)
Univariable	1.11 (0.79–1.54)	1.45 (1.07–1.97)*	1.62 (1.01–2.63)*	2.24 (1.52–3.29)**	1.39 (0.84–2.30)	1.51 (1.07–2.16)*
Multivariablea	1.18 (0.79–1.76)	1.37 (1.02–1.99)*	1.46 (0.81–2.65)	2.15 (1.37–3.37)**	1.46 (0.82–2.61)	1.395 (0.92–2.13)
SLE related antibodies (0–5)
Univariable	0.81 (0.62–1.07)	0.82 (0.63–1.08)	0.77 (0.48–1.23)	0.76 (0.52–1.11)	1.01 (0.65–1.54)	0.766 (0.55–1.07)
Multivariablea	0.84 (0.61–1.17)	0.91 (0.66–1.25)	0.74 (0.42–1.30)	0.88 (0.58–1.34)	1.07 (0.67–1.72)	0.795 (0.55–1.16)

CI: confidence interval; CMBs: cerebral micro-bleeds; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; OR: odds ratio; SDI: Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI-2K: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000; WMH: white matter hyperintensities.

Antiphospholipid antibodies included lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin IgM and IgG; SLE related antibodies included anti-dsDNA, anti-SSA/Ro52, anti-SSB/La, anti-Sm and anti-RNP.

^aMultivariable analysis was adjusted for age, gender, hypertension, smoking (current or ever), BMI, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, low C3, low C4, duration of SLE, SLEDAI-2K and SDI.

^bLacunar infarcts load includes: white matter, basal ganglia, thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum infarcts. No associations were found for large vessel infarcts, large hemorrhages and sinus thrombosis.

^cPasquier scale ≥ 2.

^dReference Fazekas score ≤ 1.

*p < 0.05; **p < 0.001.