Table 3.
Clinical characteristics of patients with and without the event of poor treatment outcomes
| With the eventa (n = 41) | Without the eventb (n = 78) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean ± SD | 72.6 ± 8.3 | 73.3 ± 7.3 | 0.622 |
| Female patients, % | 73.2 | 64.1 | 0.317 |
| Weight, kg, mean ± SD | 49.4 ± 9.2 | 52.5 ± 11.1 | 0.128 |
| Signs and symptoms of cranial lesions at baseline, % | 65.9 | 83.3 | 0.03 |
| Headache, % | 51.2 | 64.1 | 0.173 |
| Abnormal temporal artery, % | 51.2 | 64.1 | 0.173 |
| Jaw claudication, % | 36.6 | 32.1 | 0.619 |
| Visual disturbance, % | 19.5 | 25.6 | 0.454 |
| LVLs detected by imaging at baseline, % | 78.0 | 46.2 | 0.001 |
| Any lesions of the aortic branchesc, % | 48.8 | 37.2 | 0.222 |
| Any lesions of the aortad, % | 53.7 | 30.8 | 0.015 |
| Any structural vascular damagee, % | 31.7 | 19.2 | 0.127 |
| Stenosis of the aortic branchesc, % | 12.2 | 15.4 | 0.637 |
| Aneurysm of the aorta, % | 9.8 | 2.6 | 0.106 |
| Fever at baseline, % | 24.4 | 36.8 | 0.170 |
| Polymyalgia rheumatica at baseline, % | 43.9 | 41.0 | 0.763 |
| CRP at baseline, mg/dl, median (interquartile range) | 7.15 (3.75–11.1) | 6.82 (2.99–11.2) | 0.810 |
| Ischemic heart disease at baseline, % | 2.4 | 7.7 | 0.235 |
| Cerebrovascular disease at baseline, % | 17.1 | 11.5 | 0.400 |
| Hypertension at baseline, % | 39.0 | 44.9 | 0.540 |
| Diabetes mellitus at baseline, % | 19.5 | 17.9 | 0.835 |
| Hyperlipidemia at baseline, % | 22.0 | 29.5 | 0.378 |
| Initial dose of PSL, mg/kg/day, mean ± SD | 0.76 ± 0.26 | 0.75 ± 0.22 | 0.799 |
| PSL dose at week 4, mg/kg/day, mean ± SD | 0.57 ± 0.20 | 0.56 ± 0.16 | 0.652 |
| PSL dose at week 8, mg/kg/day, mean ± SD | 0.42 ± 0.16 | 0.41 ± 0.14 | 0.774 |
| PSL dose at week 12, mg/kg/day, mean ± SD | 0.36 ± 0.15 | 0.34 ± 0.11 | 0.364 |
| Immunosuppressive drug use at baseline, % | 15.0 | 9.0 | 0.245 |
| Immunosuppressive drug use during observational period, % | 75.6 | 28.2 | < 0.001 |
| MTX for induction therapy, n (%) | 11 (26.8) | 9 (11.5) | – |
| MTX for flare, % | 12 (29.3) | – | – |
| CY for induction therapy, % | 2 (4.9) | 2 (2.6) | – |
| CY for flare, % | 3 (7.3) | – | – |
| AZA for induction therapy, % | 7 (17.1) | 4 (5.1) | – |
| AZA for flare, % | 2 (4.9) | – | – |
LVLs large vessel lesions, LV large vessel, ACR American College of Rheumatology, CRP C-reactive protein, PSL prednisolone, GCs glucocorticoids, MTX methotrexate, CY cyclophosphamide, AZA azathioprine
aPoor treatment outcomes were defined as non-achievement of clinical remission by week 24 or relapse after the achievement of clinical remission during 52 weeks
bPatients without the event of poor treatment outcomes achieved clinical remission by week 24 and no relapse during 52 weeks.
cAny lesions of aortic branches by imaging included lesions in the carotid, vertebral, brachiocephalic, subclavian, axillary artery, pulmonary, renal, or iliac arteries
dAny lesions of the aorta by imaging included lesions in the ascending aorta, aorta arch, descending thoracic aorta, or abdominal aorta
eAny structural vascular damage included stenosis, dilatation, or aneurysm in lesions of the aortic branches and aorta