TABLE 2.
Comparisons of the clinical and laboratory features of 21 SLE patients at different time points.
| T0 (n = 21) | T6 (n = 21) | T12 (n = 21) | p T0 vs. T6 | p T0 vs. T12 | p T6 vs. T12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disease activity | ||||||
| SLEDAI 2K-score | 6 (4–10) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (2–5) | 0.0007 | 0.0025 | 0.9045 |
| Laboratory Parameters | ||||||
| Serum levels of C3 (mg/dl) (nv = 80–160) | 72 (52–97) | 74 (50–103) | 73 (50–101) | 0.9404 | 0.6789 | 0.6600 |
| Serum levels of C4 (mg/dl) (nv = 10–40) | 9 (6–18) | 11 (3–18) | 11 (6–20) | 0.3480 | 0.1394 | 0.3486 |
| Serum levels of anti-dsDNA (UI/ml) (nv < 7) | 26 (7–128) | 28 (5–228) | 28 (5–110) | 0.5699 | 0.2114 | 0.3396 |
| Treatment | ||||||
| Dosage of prednisone (mg/day) | 9 (5–23) | 6 (3.6–12.5) | 4 (3–10.5) | 0.0030 | 0.0010 | 0.0468 |
Data are expressed as median (10th–90th percentile). SLEDAI-2K score, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus disease Activity Index 2000; C3 and C4: complement factor 3 and 4; Anti-dsDNA, anti-double-stranded DNA autoantibody; nv, normal values. In bold p ≤ 0.050.