Table 1.
Characteristics of SLE patients and HDs
| All SLE | Active LN | Not active LN | HD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 12 | n = 6 | n = 6 | n = 10 | |
| Sex (female), % (n) | 91·7 (11) | 100 (6) | 83·3 (5) | 90 (9) |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 32 (23·5–44·8) | 34 (26·8–51·8) | 28 (19–46·8) | 28 (24·5–37) |
| Disease duration (years), median (IQR) | 6 (2–16) | 6 (1–18·5) | 6 (2–19) | – |
| Immunosuppressive medication, a % (n) | 75 (9) | 83·3 (5) | 66·7 (4) | – |
| Prednisolone | 58·3 (7) | 83·3 (5) | 33·3 (2) | – |
| Dose (mg), median (range) | 30 (2–75) | 30 (2–75) | 20 (5–35) | – |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 58·3 (7) | 66·7 (4) | 50 (3) | – |
| Mycophenolate mofetil | 25 (3) | 33·3 (2) | 16·7 (1) | – |
| Cyclophosphamide | 16·7 (1) | 16·7 (1) | 0 (0) | – |
| Disease manifestations, a % (n) | ||||
| Nephritis | 50 (6) | 100 (6) | 0 (0) | – |
| Arthritis | 25 (3) | 16·7 (1) | 33·3 (2) | – |
| Pleuritis | 16·7 (2) | 33·3 (2) | 0 (0) | – |
| CNS | 8·3 (1) | 16·7 (1) | 0 (0) | – |
| APS, thrombotic | 25 (3) | 16·7 (1) | 33·3 (2) | – |
| Low C3/C4 | 66·7 (8) | 100 (6) | 33·3 (2) | – |
| Previous LN, % (n) | 58·3 (7) | 100 (6) | 16·7 (1) | – |
| Leukocytes (103/µl), median (IQR) | 6·5 (4·65–12·2) | 7·9 (4·4–14·95) | 5·7 (3·98–8·7) | – |
| Lymphocytes (103/µl), median (IQR) | 1·5 (0·95–2·38) | 1·7 (0·8–2·5) | 1·5 (1·18–1·98) | – |
| Lymphopenia (< 1000/µl), % (n) | 25 (3) | 33·3 (2) | 16·7 (1) | |
| Anti‐dsDNA antibody positivity, % (n) | 58·3 (7) | 83·3 (5) | 33·3 (2) | – |
| Titer, median (IQR) b | 111 (6·3–380) | 380 (112–380) | 8·1 (0·9–111) | – |
| SLEDAI score, median (IQR) | 6 (4–8) | 8 (6–20) | 4 (0–6·25) | – |
IQR = interquartile range; HD = healthy donors; SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus; LN = lupus nephritis; SLEDAI = Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; CNS = central nervous system.
a
At study inclusion;
b
n = 10 (five with active LN).