Table 1 Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of the study

Total number

21

15

33

Male/female, number

4/17

3/12

2/31

Age, years, median (range)

38 (16 to 53)

46 (18 to 61)

48 (20 to 81)

SLEDAI, mean ± SD

13.7 ± 3.7 ***^,+++

2.7 ± 1.7

2.8 ± 2.7

Anti-dsDNA antibody, IU/ml, median (range)

140 (3 to 1,000) **^{, +}

19 (3 to 432)

20.5 (3 to 1000)

C3, g/l, median (range)

0.55 (0.27 to 1.13)***^,++

0.93 (0.43 to 1.48)

0.97 (0.31 to 11.4)

C4 (g/l), median (range)

0.08 (0.03- 0.3)*^,+

0.16 (0.06 to 0.3)

0.12 (0.02 to 1.04)

CRP, mg/I, median (range)

5 (5 to 121)

5 ( 5 to 21)

5 (5 to 33)

eGFR, ml/min

72 (24 to 142)

81 (45 to 145)

89 (31 to 140)

Serum creatinine, µmol/l, median (range)

75 (46 to 406)

71 (51 to 126)

62 (47 to 141)

24-hr proteinuria, g/24hr

1.5 (0.3 to 8.4)***^,+++

0.3 (0.2 to 2.5) ^{# # #}

0.0 (0.0 to 0.1)

Urine creatinine, mmol/l, median (range)

7.6 (0.6 to 21.3)

4.3 (1.6 to 15.7)

6.2 (0.7 to 14.9)

With/without treatment, number

12/9

13/2

21/12

Patients using prednisone, number (%), dose, mg/day, median (range)

10 (47.6%)

7.5 (2.5 to 60)

10 (66.6%)

10 (5 to 60)

8 (24.2%)

5 (1.25 to 10)

Patients taking hydroxychloroquine, number (%), dose, mg/day, median (range)

8 (38%)

350 ( 200 to 600)

2 (13.3%)

400 (400)

14 (42.2%)

400 (200 to 600)

Patients using azathioprine, number (%), dose, mg/day, median (range)

3 (14.3%)

100 (75 to 150)

7 (46.6%)

75 (50 to150)

6 (18.2%)

125 (75 to 150)