Mycophenolic acid counteracts B cell proliferation and plasmablast formation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Table 1 Summary of additional medication, clinical and serologic characteristics of the analyzed lupus patients

	AZA		MMF		No IS
	n= 30	%	n= 39	%	n= 38	%
Medication ^a
Prednisone	26	87	38	97	14	37
mg/day, median (range)	5.0 (0-50) ^§§§		5.0 (0-30)^###		0 (0-20)^{§§§ ###}
Hydroxychloroquine	17	57	26	67	29	76
Manifestations ^a
Nephritis	20	67	35	90	13	34
Proliferative class III, IV of all biopsy results available	12	75	22	76	3	38
CRF grade III+	5	25	6	17	1	8
Nephritis in remission	9	45	20	57	7	58
Active nephritis	11	55	15	43	6	46
New nephritis	1	5	0	0	6	46
Arthritis	3	10	2	5	9	24
Serositis	1	3	0	0	4	11
Myositis	2	7	1	3	0	0
CNS	1	3	0	0	1	3
Vasculitis	1	3	1	3	1	3
Flares ^a	14	47	9	23	12	32
Lupus nephritis flare	10	71	4	44	6	50
CNS flare	0	0	0	0	1	3
Arthritis flare	0	0	2	22	5	42
Serositis flare	2	14	0	0	3	8
Myositis flare	1	7	1	11	0	0
Vasculitis flare	0	0	1	11	0	0
Ref. thrombocytopenia	0	0	1	11	0	0
ILD flare	1	7	0	0	0	0
Autoantibodies ^a
Anti-dsDNA	27	90	36	92	28	74
C _median, U/ml (range)	39 (0-1,250)		29 (0-1,065)		32 (0-1,496)
Anti-Ro	17	57	16	41	24	65
Anti-La	8	27	6	15	10	27
Anti-U1RNP	11	37	14	36	20	54
Anti-SM	6	20	6	15	8	22
APLA/LA	10	33	14	38^b	9	28^b
Consumption of complement factors ^a	15	50	16	41	15	39
SLEDAI
Median (range)	6 (0-18)		4 (0-14)		4 (0-24)

Results are presented as number and percent of patients unless otherwise stated. ^aResulting in an intensification of the immunosuppressive therapy (> 50mg prednisone-equivalent added, or switch of the therapy regimen to a more potent regimen, such as cyclophosphamide). AZA, azathioprine; MMF, mycophenolate mophetil; IS, immunosuppression; CRF, chronic renal failure; CNS, central nervous system; ILD, interstitial lung disease; APLA, anti-phospholipid antibodies; LA, lupus anticoagulant; SLEDAI, SLE disease activity index. ^bData incomplete (antibody status known in 37 and 32 patients respectively). Statistically significant differences detected between the dose of prednisone-equivalent, Dunn's Multiple Comparison test: ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, ^###P < 0.001 statistically significant differences between patients taking MMF compared to patients without immunosuppressive therapy (no IS). ^§P < 0.05, ^§§P < 0.01, ^§§§P < 0.001 for statistically significant differences between patients taking AZA compared to patients without immunosuppressive therapy.

ISSN: 1478-6362