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Table 1 Baseline demographics, clinical features and treatments in SLE with infections vs. NPSLE

From: Clinical features of central nervous system infections and experience in differential diagnosis from neuropsychiatric lupus erythematosus in a cohort of 8491 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Items

CNS infections (n = 95)

NPSLE (n = 95)

P value

Sex, female, n (%)

81 (85.3)

81 (85.3)

1.000

Age at SLE diagnosis, year, mean (SD)

31.0 (13.9)

30.8 (14.1)

0.897

Age at onset§, years, mean (SD)

34.6 (13.7)

32.3 (14.7)

0.276

SLE disease duration&, months, median (IQR)

21.0 (3.0–50.0)

1.0 (0–22.0)

< 0.001

System involvement of SLE, n (%)

 Lupus nephritis

71 (74.7)

69 (72.6)

0.742

 NPSLE

26 (27.4)

95 (100)

< 0.001

 Hematological

65 (68.4)

62 (65.3)

0.644

 Mucocutaneous

79 (83.2)

66 (69.5)

< 0.05

 Musculoskeletal

51 (53.7)

52 (54.7)

0.884

 Cardiovascular

12 (12.6)

22 (23.2)

0.058

 Pulmonary

6 (6.3)

18 (18.9)

< 0.05

Medical history*, n (%)

 Pulmonary tuberculosis

5 (5.3)

5 (5.3)

1.000

 Fungal infections

2 (2.1)

1 (1.1)

1.000

 Diabetes mellitus

9 (9.5)

4 (4.2)

0.151

 Herpes zoster infections

9 (9.5)

1 (1.1)

< 0.01

Previous treatment*

 Pulse GCs, n (%)

35 (36.8)

7 (7.4)

< 0.001

 Average daily prednisone dose (or equivalent) in recent 6 months, mg/day, mean (SD)

43.5 (44.2)

21.8 (37.5)

< 0.001

 DMARDs in recent 6 months, n (%)

67 (70.5)

36 (37.9)

< 0.001

 CTX/MMF in recent 1 year, n (%)

49 (51.6)

17 (17.9)

< 0.001

Neuropsychiatric symptoms§, n (%)

 Fever

92 (96.8)

22 (23.2)

< 0.001

 Headache

85 (89.5)

42 (44.2)

< 0.001

 Seizure

24 (25.3)

35 (36.8)

0.085

 Psychosis

17 (17.9)

31 (32.6)

< 0.05

 Cognitive dysfunction

17 (17.9)

32 (33.7)

< 0.05

 Acute confusional state

49 (51.6)

19 (20.0)

< 0.001

 Anxiety disorder

2 (2.1)

10 (10.5)

< 0.05

CSF examination§

 Pressure ≥ 300 mmH2O, n (%)

47 (51.1)

9 (9.5)

< 0.001

 WBCs, 106/L, mean (SD)

635 (1470)

3 (12)

< 0.001

 PMN ratio, %, mean (SD)

45.6 (36.0)

0.5 (2.4)

< 0.001

 Protein, g/L, mean (SD)

2.13 (3.78)

0.64 (0.65)

< 0.001

 Glucose, mmol/L, mean (SD)

2.0 (1.3)

3.3 (0.9)

< 0.001

Laboratory blood test at onset§

 WBCs, 106/L, mean (SD)

9084 (5898)

6497 (3508)

< 0.001

 PMN ratio, %, mean (SD)

82.2 (10.3)

75.8 (11.9)

< 0.001

 Lymphocytes, 106/L, mean (SD)

923 (771)

1032 (758)

0.354

 Hypocomplementemia, n (%)

41 (44.6)

72 (77.4)

< 0.001

 IgG, g/L, mean (SD)

13.6 (7.6)

12.2 (7.4)

0.236

 ESR, mm/h, mean (SD)

54.8 (39.5)

48.2 (31.8)

0.215

SLEDAI-2K score, mean (SD)

7.5 (7.3)

18.4 (5.6)

< 0.001

SLICC/ACR Damage Index, mean (SD)

1.03 (1.04)

1.01 (0.88)

0.151

Morality rate#, n (%)

26 (27.4)

13 (13.7)

< 0.05

  1. Pulse GCs are defined as equal to or greater than 500 mg/day methylprednisolone infusion for consecutive 3~5 days; DMARDs, including cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide
  2. CNS central nervous system, GCs glucocorticoids, NPSLE neuropsychiatric lupus erythematosus, DMARDs disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, CTX cyclophosphamide, MMF mycophenolate mofetil, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, WBCs white blood cells, PMN polymorphonuclear leukocyte, IgG immunoglobulin G, SLEDAI-2K systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000. SLICC/ACR Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology
  3. §Evaluated within 2 weeks of CNS infection or NPSLE onset
  4. &Disease duration from SLE diagnosis to CNS infections or NPSLE onset
  5. *Evaluated history before the diagnosis of CNS infection or NPSLE
  6. #Evaluated within 1 year of diagnosis of CNS infection or NPSLE
  7. Significant p values are shown in bold typeface