Table 2.

Clinical outcomes and pharmacological therapy before and after HCQ dose adjustment

Parameters	Visits prior to adjustment	Visits after adjustment	P value
Outcome measures
SLEDAI
Mean score (SD)	2.2 (2.9)	2.1 (3.0)	0.958
Median score (P25–P75)	1 (0–3)	1 (0–3.1)
SLE exacerbations
Mean (SD)	0.18 (0.25)	0.13 (0.21)	0.256
Median (P25–P75)	0 (0–0.25)	0 (0–0.25)
Total emergency room visits, mean (SD)
Mean (SD)	0.06 (0.22)	0.01 (0.05)	0.284
Median (P25–P75)	0 (0–0)	0 (0–0)
Emergency room visits attributed to SLE
Mean (SD)	0.02 (0.08)	0.00 (0.03)	0.313
Median (P25–P75)	0 (0–0)	0 (0–0)
Total hospitalisations
Mean (SD)	0.08 (0.19)	0.04 (0.10)	0.322
Median (P25–P75)	0 (0–0)	0 (0–0)
Hospitalisations attributed to SLE
Mean (SD)	0.04 (0.16)	0.00 (0.03)	0.083
Median (P25–P75)	0 (0–0)	0 (0–0)
SDI
Mean score (SD)	0.84 (1.28)	0.98 (1.42)	0.076
Median score (P25–P75)	0 (0–1)	0 (0–1.5)
Pharmacological therapy
Corticosteroids, %	68.3	65.0	0.727
Prednisone (or equivalent)
Mean mg/day (SD)	7.9 (17.4)	4.8 (5.1)	0.047
Median mg/day (P25–P75)	5 (0–9.8)	5 (0–7.7)
Prednisone >5 mg daily at any point, %	48.3	40.0	0.230
Prednisone >7.5 mg daily at any point, %	45.0	35.0	0.150
Mycophenolate, %	28.3	30.0	>0.99
Azathioprine, %	10.0	8.3	>0.99
Cyclophosphamide, %	1.7	1.7	>0.99
Tacrolimus, %	1.7	6.7	0.250
Methotrexate, %	3.3	5.0	>0.99
Rituximab, %	0.0	0.0	>0.99
NSAIDs, %	15.0	18.3	0.688

Exact McNemar’s test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical analyses.

HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; P, percentile; SDI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index; SLEDAI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index.