Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of SLE patients visiting the neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) clinic at first visit.
| Clinical characteristics | Major NPSLE (n = 149) | Minor/non-NPSLE (n = 202) |
|---|---|---|
| Gender (n (female, %)) | 130 (87) | 179 (89) |
| Age (years (median, range)) | 42.3 (13.6–72.2) | 44.9 (16.1–84.2) |
| Follow-up time (years (median, range)) | 6.1 (0.4–12.0) | 4.9 (0.3–11.6) |
| SLE duration (years (median, range)) | 4.4 (0.0–42.1) | 4.4 (0.0–38.9) |
| ACR 1997 criteria (n, %) | ||
| Malar rash | 58 (39) | 84 (42) |
| Discoid rash | 22 (15) | 41 (20) |
| Photosensitivity | 70 (47) | 107 (53) |
| Oral ulcers | 57 (38) | 91 (45) |
| Nonerosive arthritis | 98 (66) | 114 (56) |
| Pleuritis or pericarditis | 43 (29) | 50 (25) |
| Renal disorder | 43 (29) | 53 (26) |
| Neurologic disorder | 27 (18) | 16 (8) |
| Hematologic disorder | 81 (54) | 91 (45) |
| Immunologic disorder | 123 (83) | 146 (72) |
| Positive ANA | 146 (98) | 196 (97) |
| Antiphospholipid syndrome (n, %) | 39 (26) | 26 (13) |
| Hypertension (n, %) | 60 (40) | 63 (31) |
| SLEDAI-2K (median, range) | 6 (0–34) | 4 (0–34) |
| SDI (median, range) | 1 (0–11) | 0 (0–6) |
| Smoking status (n, %) | ||
| Present | 39 (26) | 60 (30) |
| Past | 27 (18) | 39 (19) |
| Never | 82 (55) | 101 (50) |
| Unknown | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| Education level (n, %) | ||
| Low | 10 (7) | 6 (3) |
| Middle | 94 (63) | 115 (57) |
| High | 39 (26) | 66 (33) |
| Unknown | 6 (4) | 15 (7) |
| Anti-inflammatory treatment (n, %)a | ||
| Corticosteroids | 117 (79) | 99 (49) |
| Methylprednisolone | 33 (22) | 2 (1) |
| Azathioprine | 59 (40) | 36 (18) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 91 (61) | 141 (70) |
| Methotrexate | 8 (5) | 14 (7) |
| MMF | 25 (17) | 23 (11) |
| Tacrolimus | 0 (0) | 2 (1) |
| Cyclophosphamide | 44 (30) | 5 (3) |
| Biologicals (rituximab, belimumab) | 10 (7) | 0 (0) |
| Anti-coagulant treatment (n, %)a | ||
| Aspirin | 69 (46) | 33 (16) |
| Dipyridamole | 25 (17) | 9 (5) |
| P2Y12-inhibitor | 29 (20) | 7 (4) |
| Vitamin K antagonist | 38 (26) | 21 (10) |
| DOAC | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| LMWH | 6 (4) | 3 (2) |
| Statin | 49 (33) | 39 (19) |
aTreatment at baseline visit and initiated as treatment for major NPSLE.ANA: antinuclear antibodies; DOAC: direct oral anticoagulant; LMWH: low molecular weight heparin; MMF: mycophenolate mofetil; SDI: SLICC damage index; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI-2K: systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000.