Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of subjects applied in this study.∗
| Variable | Diseased samples: |
Controls |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| NPSLE | SLE | Healthy (HC) | |
| N (subjects) | 73 | 20 | 16 |
| Female/Male | 56/8 | 20/0 | 14/2 |
| Gender Unknown | 9 | – | |
| Ethnicity | Asian | Caucasian | Caucasian 40%, Asian 60% |
| Median age (yr) at sample collection (range) | 46.6 (14–61.2) | 42 (20–56) | 44 (30–65) |
| Median age (yr) at disease onset (range) | 43 (9–75.59) | 34 (17–45) | – |
| OBD classification ACR1999, code (% patients), out of 57 in total | 1 (54%), 2 (37%), 3 (9%) | n/a | n/a |
| Disease phase at sampling Remission/relapse | 58/15 | 18/2 | – |
| CS + IS + PE treatment/total no. samples (%) | 5 (6.85%) | 4 (20%) | – |
| CS + IS treatment/total no. samples (%) | 11 (15.06%) | 4 (20%) | – |
| CS treatment/total no. samples (%) | 13 (17.80%) | 5 (25%) | – |
| IS treatment/total no. samples (%) | 1 (1.37%) | 2 (10%) | – |
| CS + IVIG then RTX treatment/total no. samples (%) | 1 (1.37%) | – | – |
| CS + PE treatment/total no. samples (%) | 2 (2.74%) | – | – |
| HDCS (prior to sampling)/total no. samples (%) | 6 (8.22%) | 8 (40%) | – |
| Antimalarial treatment/total no. samples (%) | 3 (4.11%) | 8 (40%) | – |
| Median (range) SLEDAI/no. samples | 2.5 (0–44)/24 | 3 (1–11)/20 | – |
| Median (range) ANA ELISA | 32.13 (2.80–127.7) | 50 (11–156) | – |
| Mean (range) ESR | Nd | 25 (22–34) | 26 (20–37) |
∗ Abbreviations: NPSL E = Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE = Systemic lupus erythematosus, HC = Healthy control, SLEDAI = Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, ESR = Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ELISA = Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, OBD = organic brain dysfunction. IgG = Immunoglobulin G, CS= Corticosteroid, IS=Immunosupressive, PE = plasma exchange, IVIG= Intravenous immunoglobulin, RTX = Rituximab, ANA = Antinuclear antibody, HDCS= Human Diploid Cell Strain, yr = Year, ND= No data, n/a = not applied.