Table 4.
Laboratory findings at diagnosis and last visit
| At diagnosis |
At last visit |
Test used | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | SLE patient with rare variants predicted to be damaging (‘genetic’ SLE) | Remaining SLE patients | P-value | Total | SLE patient with rare variants predicted to be damaging (‘genetic’ SLE) | Remaining SLE patients | P-value | ||
| Immunology | |||||||||
| ANA (when tested), n (%) | 219/275 (79.6) | 8/9 (88.9) | 211/266 (79.3) | 0.054 | 143/228 (62.7) | 1/5 (20) | 141/223 (63.2) | <0.0001 | χ2 |
| Anti-dsDNA negative (0–15), n (%) | 111/314 (35.4) | 2/10 (20) | 109/304 (35.8) | 0.04 | 172/316 (54.4) | 2/10 (20) | 170/306 (55.5) | <0.0001 | χ2 |
| Anti-dsDNA positive (15–>400), n (%) | 203/314 (64.6) | 8/10 (80) | 195/304 (64.1) | 0.02 | 144/316 (43.6) | 8/10 (80) | 136/306 (40.5) | <0.0001 | χ2 |
| Anti-Sm, n (of 238 tested at first visit, of 200 tested at last visit) (%) | 56/238 (23.5) | 1/8 (12.5) | 55/230 (23.9) | 0.03 | 31/200 (15.5) | 0/4 (0.0) | 31/196 (15.8) | <0.0001 | χ2 |
| Anti-RNP, n (of 238 tested at first visit, of 200 tested at last visit) (%) | 74/238 (31.1) | 2/8 (25) | 72/230 (31.3) | 0.34 | 44/200 (22) | 2/4 (50) | 42/196 (21.4) | <0.0001 | χ2 |
| Anti-Ro, n (of 238 tested at first visit, of 200 tested at last visit) (%) | 76/238 (31.9) | 1/8 (12.5) | 75/230 (32.6) | 0.0004 | 47/200 (23.5) | 1/4 (25) | 46/196 (23.5) | 0.87 | χ2 |
| Anti-La, n (of 238 tested at first visit, of 200 tested at last visit) (%) | 33/238 (13.9) | 1/8 (12.5) | 32/230 (13.9) | 0.63 | 15/200 (7.5) | 0/4 (0.0) | 15/196 (7.6) | 0.004 | χ2 |
| C3, median (IQR) | 0.94 (0.12–3.47) | 0.82 (0.21–1.44) | 0.95 (0.12–3.47) | 0.38 | 1.06 (0.12–2.08) | 0.9 (0.39–1.36) | 1.07 (0.12–2.08) | 0.08 | Mann–Whitney |
| C4, median (IQR) | 0.12 (0.01–1.95) | 0.1 (0.01–0.28) | 0.12 (0.01–1.95) | 0.31 | 0.17 (0.01–0.66) | 0.18 (0.01–0.22) | 0.17 (0.03–0.66) | 0.47 | Mann–Whitney |
| Haemoglobin level, n (%) | |||||||||
| Severe anaemia (<8 g/dl) | 31/309 (10) | 0/11 (0) | 31/298 (10.4) | 0.001 | 15/300 (5) | 0/8 (0.0) | 15/292 (5.1) | 0.02 | χ2 |
| Moderate anaemia (8–8.9 g/dl) | 24/309 (6.9) | 1/11 (9.1) | 23/298 (7.7) | 0.80 | 4/300 (1.3) | 0/8 (0.0) | 4/292 (1.4) | 0.32 | χ2 |
| Mild anaemia (9–10.9 g/dl) | 72/309 (23.3) | 1/11 (9.1) | 70/298 (23.5) | 0.004 | 34/300 (11.3) | 2/8 (25) | 32/292 (11) | 0.01 | χ2 |
| Normal (>10.9 g/dl) | 182/309 (58.9) | 8/11 (72.7) | 167/298 (56) | 0.02 | 247/300 (82.3) | 6/8 (75) | 241/292 (82.5) | 0.16 | χ2 |
| White cell count, n (%) | |||||||||
| Severe leukopenia (<1.0 × 109/l) | 0/307 (0.0) | 0/10 (0.0) | 0/297 (0.0) | 1 | 0/302 (0.0) | 0/9 (0.0) | 0/293 (0.0) | 1 | χ2 |
| Moderate leukopenia (1–1.9 × 109/l) | 6/307 (1.9) | 0/10 (0.0) | 6/297 (2) | 0.15 | 2/302 (0.7) | 0/9 (0.0) | 2/293 (0.7) | 0.32 | χ2 |
| Mild leukopenia (2–3.9 × 109/l) | 63/307 (20.5) | 0/10 (0.0) | 63/297 (21.2) | <0.0001 | 62/302 (20.5) | 2/9 (22.2) | 60/293 (20.5) | 0.86 | χ2 |
| Normal (>3.9 × 109/l) | 238/307 (77.5) | 9/10 (90) | 229/297 (77.1) | 0.01 | 238/302 (78.8) | 6/9 (66.7) | 232/293 (79.2) | 0.056 | χ2 |
| Platelets, n (%) | |||||||||
| Severe thrombocytopenia (<25 × 109/l) | 4/305 (1.3) | 1/9 (11.1) | 3/295 (1) | 0.003 | 0/301 (0.0) | 0/8 (0.0) | 0/292 (0.0) | 1 | χ2 |
| Moderate thrombocytopenia (25–49 × 109/l) | 8/305 (2.6) | 0/9 (0.0) | 8/295 (2.7) | 0.08 | 3/301 (1) | 0/8 (0.0) | 3/292 (1) | 0.32 | χ2 |
| Mild thrombocytopenia (50–149 × 109/l) | 30/305 (9.8) | 1/9 (11.1) | 29/295 (9.8) | 0.82 | 14/301 (4.6) | 1/8 (12.5) | 13/292 (4.4) | 0.02 | χ2 |
| Normal (>149 × 109/l) | 263/305 (86.2) | 7/9 (77.8) | 256/295 (86.8) | 0.09 | 284/301 (94.3) | 7/8 (87.5) | 277/292 (94.9) | 0.08 | χ2 |
| ESR, n (%) | |||||||||
| Severe elevation (>50 mm/h) | 98/263 (37.3) | 4/11 (36.4) | 94/252 (37.3) | 0.97 | 14/277 (5.0) | 0/6 (0) | 14/271 (5.2) | 0.02 | χ2 |
| Mild–moderate elevation (≥10, ≤50 mm/h) | 112/263 (42.6) | 5/11 (45.5) | 107/252 (42.5) | 0.67 | 130/277 (46.9) | 3/6 (50) | 127/271 (46.9) | 0.67 | χ2 |
| Normal (<10 mm/h) | 53/263 (20.1) | 1/11 (9.1) | 52/252 (20.6) | 0.02 | 133/277 (48) | 3/6 (50) | 130/271 (48) | 0.78 | χ2 |
P-values indicating statistical significance are displayed in bold italic. IQR: interquartile range.