Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with and without nephritis.
| SLE without Nephritis (n = 30) | Lupus Nephritis (n = 39) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female (N, %) | 29 (96.7%) | 38 (97.4%) | >0.999 |
| Age (years, mean ± SD) | 39.4 ± 8.5 | 39.1 ± 11.0 | 0.903 |
| Disease duration (years, median, range) | 6.2 (3.2–10.7) | 7.7 (2.1–10.9) | 0.410 |
| Laboratory data | |||
| Serum creatinine (mg/dl, median) | 0.70 (0.63–0.80) | 0.80 (0.70–1.10) | 0.019 |
| C3 (mg/dl, mean ± SD) | 77.3 ± 24.3 | 81.3 ± 24.8 | 0.523 |
| C4 (mg/dl, median) | 11.7 (9.1–15.1) | 14.0 (8.1–21.0) | 0.037 |
| Anti-dsDNA (IU/mL, median) | 7.5 (5.3–20.0) | 14.2 (7.7–78.8) | 0.037 |
| ESR (mm/hr, mean ± SD) | 27.1 ± 13.8 | 33.2 ± 19.0 | 0.125 |
| CRP (mg/dl, median) | 0.10 (0.10–0.20) | 0.11 (0.10–0.31) | 0.129 |
| Urine protein/creatinine ratio (mg/g, median) | NA | 1009.5 (155.4–2275.6) | NA |
| Microscopic hematuria (N, %) # | 1 (3.3%) | 19 (48.7%) | <0.001 |
| Organ involvement (N, %) | |||
| Renal | 0 (0.0%) | 39 (100.0%) | <0.001 |
| Neurologic | 2 (6.7%) | 1 (2.6%) | 0.576 |
| Musculoskeletal | 6 (20.0%) | 8 (20.5%) | 0.958 |
| Mucocutaneous | 4 (13.3%) | 6 (15.4%) | >0.999 |
| Serositis | 2 (6.7%) | 1 (2.6%) | 0.576 |
| SLEDAI-2K (mean ± SD) | 4.48 ± 0.73 | 12.18 ±1.16 | <0.001 |
| Medications | |||
| Glucocorticoids (mg/d, median) * | 0.0 (0.0–10.0) | 15.0 (6.3–20.0) | 0.001 |
| Hydroxychloroquine (N, %) | 29 (96.7%) | 31 (79.5%) | 0.067 |
| Mycophenolate mofetil (N, %) | 0 (0.0%) | 12 (30.8%) | 0.001 |
| Cyclophosphamide (N, %) | 0 (0.0%) | 10 (26.3%) | 0.002 |
| Azathioprine (N, %) | 2 (6.7%) | 7 (17.9%) | 0.281 |
| Methotrexate (N, %) | 1 (3.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.435 |
Abbreviations: SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP, C-reactive protein; NA, not available; SLEDAI-2K, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000. # RBC ≥ 5/HPF (high power field), * Prednisolone equivalent.