Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| All patients | Glucocorticoid dose (by 2.5 mg/day increments) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 mg/day | > 0 mg/day ≤ 2.5 mg/day | > 2.5 mg/day ≤ 5 mg/day | > 5 mg/day ≤ 7.5 mg/day | ||
| Variables | N = 175 | N = 29 | N = 24 | N = 92 | N = 30 |
| Glucocorticoid, median IQR, mg/day | 4.0 [2.0–5.0] | 0.0 [0.0–0.0] | 1.8 [1.0–2.0] | 5.0 [4.0–5.0] | 6.0 [6.0–7.0] |
| Age, median IQR, years | 47.0 [37.0–61.0] | 44.0 [35.0–61.0] | 49.0 [38.0–64.5] | 47.5 [36.0–59.0] | 47.0 [39.0–58.0] |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 157 (89.7) | 24 (82.8) | 22 (91.7) | 83 (90.2) | 28 (93.3) |
| Damage index (SDI), median IQR, point | 0.0 [0.0–1.0] | 0.0 [0.0–0.0] | 0.0 [0.0–1.0] | 0.0 [0.0–1.0] | 0.5 [0.0–1.0] |
| Time since SLE diagnosis, median IQR, year | 12.0 [6.0–19.0] | 10.0 [5.0–16.0] | 11.0 [6.5–19.0] | 12.0 [7.0–20.0] | 15.0 [7.0–22.0] |
| Disease activity index (SLEDAI-2 K), median IQR, point | 2.0 [0.0–4.0] | 2.0 [1.0–4.0] | 2.0 [0.5–4.0] | 2.0 [0.0–4.0] | 2.0 [0.0–2.0] |
| Hydroxychloroquine, n (%) | 46 (26.3) | 3 (10.3) | 5 (20.8) | 24 (26.1) | 14 (46.7) |
| Number of Immunosuppressants | |||||
| 1, n (%) | 78 (44.6) | 7 (24.1) | 6 (25.0) | 50 (54.3) | 15 (50.0) |
| 2, n (%) | 15 (8.6) | 3 (10.3) | 2 (8.3) | 5 (5.4) | 5 (16.7) |
| Immunosuppressants | |||||
| Cyclophosphamide, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Mycophenolate mofetil, n (%) | 15 (8.6) | 2 (6.9) | 2 (8.3) | 7 (7.6) | 4 (13.3) |
| Mizoribine, n (%) | 12 (6.9) | 1 (3.4) | 3 (12.5) | 6 (6.5) | 2 (6.7) |
| Methotrexate, n (%) | 3 (1.7) | 1 (3.4) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) | 1 (3.3) |
| Azathioprine, n (%) | 15 (8.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.2) | 11 (12.0) | 3 (10.0) |
| Tacrolimus, n (%) | 53 (30.3) | 8 (27.6) | 3 (12.5) | 28 (30.4) | 14 (46.7) |
| Cyclosporine, n (%) | 10 (5.7) | 1 (3.4) | 1 (4.2) | 7 (7.6) | 1 (3.3) |
| Antipsychotics, n (%) | 10 (5.7) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (8.3) | 5 (5.4) | 3 (10.0) |
| History of diagnosis | |||||
| Neuropsychiatric lupus, n (%) | 6 (3.4) | 2 (6.9) | 1 (4.2) | 2 (2.2) | 1 (3.3) |
| Lupus nephritis, n (%) | 38 (21.7) | 6 (20.7) | 3 (12.5) | 23 (25.0) | 6 (20.0) |
Note: Values are presented as the median and numbers in brackets indicate interquartile ranges for continuous variables. Categorical variables are presented as the number and (in parentheses) the percentage of patients divided into four groups by 2.5 mg increments in glucocorticoid dose
IQR interquartile range, SDI Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index, SLEDAI-2 K Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000