Table 1.
Patient characteristics.
| Baseline Characteristics | Value |
|---|---|
| Female sex; n (%) | 73 (93.6) |
| Age (years); M (IQR) | 41.3 (31.6–51.4) |
| Ancestry | |
| European/Caucasian; n (%) | 71 (91.0) |
| African/African American; n (%) | 5 (6.4) |
| Hispanic; n (%) | 2 (2.6) |
| SLE disease duration (years); M (IQR) | 7.5 (3.7–13.3) |
| SLEDAI-2K score; M (IQR) | 8.0 (4.0–12.0) |
| Number of DMARDs *; M (IQR) | 1 (0–1); N = 77 |
| Azathioprine; n (%) | 21 (27.3); N = 77 |
| Mycophenolate; n (%) | 11 (14.3); N = 77 |
| Methotrexate; n (%) | 14 (18.2); N = 77 |
| Cyclosporine; n (%) | 3 (3.9); N = 77 |
| Antimalarial agents; n (%) | 57 (74.0); N = 77 |
| Corticosteroid use; n (%) | 71 (91.0) |
| Previous exposure to corticosteroids (years); M (IQR) | 6.6 (3.6–11.0); N = 54 |
| Previous mean prednisone equivalent (mg/day); M (IQR) | 10.0 (7.5–12.5); N = 55 |
| Reason for belimumab | |
| Arthritis; n (%) | 39 (52.7); N = 74 |
| Mucocutaneous manifestations; n (%) | 39 (52.7); N = 74 |
| Hematological manifestations; n (%) | 10 (13.5); N = 74 |
| Lupus nephritis; n (%) | 7 (9.5); N = 74 |
| Neuropsychiatric lupus; n (%) | 4 (5.4); N = 74 |
| Serositis; n (%) | 3 (4.1); N = 74 |
| General manifestations †; n (%) | 3 (4.1); N = 74 |
| Serologic activity; n (%) | 1 (1.4); N = 74 |
| Respiratory ‡; n (%) | 1 (1.4); N = 74 |
Data are presented as numbers (n) and percentages (%), or medians (M) and interquartile ranges (IQR). The total number of patients was 78; in cases of missing data, the total number of observations (N) is indicated. * Excluding antimalarial agents. † Fatigue. ‡ Lung bleeding prophylaxis [49]. SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI-2K: SLE Disease Activity Index 2000; DMARDs: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.