Demographics of study population with cSLE at enrolment
| Variable* | Category | All cSLE (N=40) | NoNCD group (N=31) | NCD group (N=9) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | – | 14.80±0.36 | 14.58±0.42 | 15.56±0.65 | 0.26 |
| Female; n (%) | Yes | 34 (85%) | 26 (83.9%) | 8 (88.9%) | 0.71 |
| Race/ethnicity n (%) | White | 12 (30%) | 11 (35.5%) | 1 (11.1%) | 0.06 |
| Black | 18 (45%) | 10 (32.3%) | 8 (88.9%) | ||
| Hispanic | 7 (17.5) | 7 (22.6%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Asian | 1 (2.5%) | 1 (3.2%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Other | 2 (5%) | 2 (6.4%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Annual family income n (%) | <$25K | 8 (20%) | 5 (16.13%) | 3 (33.33%) | 0.12 |
| $26K–$50K | 14 (35%) | 9 (29.03%) | 5 (55.56%) | ||
| $51K–$75K | 8 (20%) | 7 (22.58%) | 1 (11.11%) | ||
| >$75K | 10 (25%) | 10 (32.26%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Disease duration (month) | 23.71±3.65 | 23.99±4.35 | 22.78±6.61 | 0.89 | |
| Prednisone (mg/day) | 19.84±3.13 | 15.92±2.43 | 33.29±10.03 | 0.02 | |
| Immunosuppressive drugs | Azathioprine | 4 (10%) | 2 (5%) | 2 (22%) | 0.34 |
| Cyclophosphamide | 3 (8%) | 1 (3%) | 2 (22%) | ||
| Ciclosporin | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (11%) | ||
| Methotrexate | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Mycophenolate mofetil | 17 (43%) | 13 (42%) | 4 (44%) | ||
| Rituximab | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Disease damage (SDI)† | 0.40±0.13 | 0.35±0.14 | 0.56±0.34 | 0.52 | |
| Disease activity (SLEDAI)‡ | 4.88±0.69 | 3.90±0.48 | 8.22±2.34 | 0.007 | |
| Patient well-being§ | 7.73±0.25 | 8.00±0.27 | 6.78±0.52 | 0.04 | |
| Physician assessment of disease activity¶ | 2.40±0.31 | 2.42±0.36 | 2.33±0.67 | 0.91 | |
| Depression—Childhood Depression Index | 43.75±1.22 | 42.65±1.27 | 47.56±3.03 | 0.09 | |
| Performance on FNCT** | |||||
| Working memory | −0.29±0.11 | −0.11±0.11 | −0.98±0.18 | <0.01 | |
| Processing speed | −0.05±0.13 | 0.22±0.12 | −1.11±0.18 | <0.01 | |
| Attention | 0.09±0.13 | 0.16±0.13 | −0.20±0.36 | 0.26 | |
| Visuoconstructional ability (VCA) | −0.09±0.15 | 0.22±0.13 | −1.28±0.28 | <0.01 | |
*Values are mean±SE unless stated differently.
†Systemic Lupus Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index.
‡Systemic Lupus Disease Activity Index 2k version; range 0–104; 0=inactive SLE.
§Measured on categorical Likert scale with 0=very poor; 10=very well.
¶Measured on categorical Likert scale with 0=inactive cSLE; 10=very active cSLE.
**Formal neurocognitive testing.
cSLE, childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus; FNCT, Formal Neurocognitive Testing; SLEDAI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index.