Table 2.
Characteristics of HBsAg-positive SLE patients with or without HBV reactivation.
| Demographics | HBV Reactivation | No HBV Reactivation | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| N = 30 | N = 25 | ||
| Age at diagnosis of SLE (years) | 37.6 ± 16.5 | 36.3 ± 13.8 | 0.758 |
| Female | 21 (70.0) | 23 (92.0) | 0.035 * |
| Baseline ALT (IU/mL) | 26.3 ± 10.8 | 23.4 ± 14.0 | 0.400 |
| Baseline AST (IU/mL) | 26.8 ± 8.9 | 25.7 ± 12.4 | 0.718 |
| Baseline TBIL (mg/dL) | 0.45 ± 0.22 | 0.44 ± 0.15 | 0.776 |
| HBeAg positive | 9/28 (32.1) | 0/19 (0.0) | - |
| Immunosuppressive treatment | 0.046 * | ||
| No treatment | 3 | 7 | |
| GC alone | 7 | 3 | |
| Immunosuppressants † alone | 2 | 6 | |
| GC in combination with other immunosuppressants † | 18 | 9 | |
| Any GC containing regiments | 25 (83.3) | 12 (48.0) | 0.005 * |
| Duration of GC (days) | 212 (50–833) | 0 (0–1522) | 0.768 |
| Cumulative GC use (gm) ‡ | 3.6 (0.5–16.4) | 3.9 (0–27.5) | 0.654 |
| GC ‡ ≥ 10 mg/day | 22 (73.3) | 10 (40.0) | 0.012 * |
| Number of immunosuppressants † | 0.137 | ||
| 1 | 11 | 11 | |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | |
| ≥3 | 4 | 1 | |
| Peak HBV viral load during HBVr (IU/mL) | 1,048,000 (41,500–13,700,000) | - | - |
| Peak ALT during HBVr (IU/mL) | 281 (151–560) | - | - |
| Peak T. Bili during HBVr (mg/dL) | 2.2 (0.8–4.8) | - | - |
| Rescue antiviral treatment | 26 (86.7) | - | - |
Abbreviations: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GC, glucocorticoid; HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen; HBVr, HBV reactivation; T. Bili, total bilirubin. † Immunosuppressive drugs included hydroxychloroquine, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, etc. ‡ Values represent prednisolone equivalents. Data are presented as frequency (percentage), mean ± standard deviation, or median (interquartile range). * p < 0.05.