Table 1 Description of the study population
Patient characteristics, total (n = 109) | No (%)/median (IQR) |
|---|---|
Age, years (n = 98) | 38 (29–49) |
Sex | |
 Female | 104 (95.4%) |
 Male | 5 (4.6%) |
Ethnicity | |
 White | 61 (56%) |
 Black | 14 (12.8%) |
 South Asian | 20 (18.3%) |
 Other | 11 (10.1%) |
 Not Specified | 3 (2.8%) |
SLE duration, years | 10 (6.5–16.5) |
1997 ACR criteria | |
 Malar rash | 60 (55%) |
 Discoid rash | 15 (13.8%) |
 Photosensitivity | 59 (54.1%) |
 Oral ulcers | 68 (62.4%) |
 Arthritis | 97 (89%) |
 Serositis | 33 (30.3%) |
 Renal disorder | 44 (40.4%) |
 Neurologic disorder | 8 (7.3%) |
 Haematologic disorder | 63 (57.8%) |
 Immunologic disorder | 81 (74.3%) |
 Positive ANA | 96 (88.1%) |
Disease activity | |
 SLEDAI score (n = 99) | 8 (4–14) |
 BILAG 2004, A or B in organ domain (n = 98) | |
  Constitutional | 8 (8.2%) |
  Mucocutaneous | 51 (52%) |
  Neuropsychiatric | 10 (10.2%) |
  Musculoskeletal | 51 (52%) |
  Cardiorespiratory | 13 (13.3%) |
  Gastrointestinal | 5 (5.1%) |
  Ophthalmic | 5 (5.1%) |
  Renal | 39 (39.8%) |
  Haematological | 3 (3.1%) |
 Low C3/C4 (n = 99) | 53 (53.5%) |
 Raised anti-dsDNA (n = 104) | 43 (41.4%) |
Autoantibodies (n = 104) | |
 ANA antibodies | 99 (95.2%) |
 dsDNA antibodies | 58 (55.8%) |
 U1RNP antibodies | 34 (32.7%) |
 U3RNP antibodies | 1 (1%) |
 SSa/Ro52 antibodies | 20 (19.2%) |
 SSa/Ro60 antibodies | 37 (35.6%) |
 SSb/La antibodies | 6 (5.8%) |
Medication | |
 Current oral corticosteroid use (n = 108) | 94 (87%) |
 Usual oral corticosteroid dose (mg) (n = 75) | 10 (7.5–20) |
 Current or previous antimalarial therapy | |
  Hydroxychloroquine | 54 (49.5%) |
  Mepacrine | 2 (1.8%) |
 Current or previous immunosuppressant exposure | |
  Azathioprine | 9 (8.3%) |
  Methotrexate | 5 (4.6%) |
  Mycophenolate mofetil | 53 (48.6%) |
  Tacrolimus | 1 (0.9%) |
  Cyclophosphamide | 8 (7.3%) |