Clinical characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the SLE-DK (plasma), SLE-SE (plasma), and SLE-IFN-α (serum) cohorts*
| SLE-DK (n=70) | SLE-SE (n=68) | SLE-IFN-α (n=26) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disease manifestations† | |||
| Renal disease | 12 (17) | 12 (18) | 13 (50) |
| Arthritis | 7 (10) | 7 (10) | 8 (31) |
| Rash | 4 (6) | 5 (7) | 10 (14) |
| Vasculitis | 4 (6) | 2 (3) | 1 (4) |
| Alopecia | 5 (7) | 4 (6) | 3 (12) |
| Mucosal ulcers | 6 (9) | 3 (4) | 7 (27) |
| Serositis | 2 (3) | 0 (0) | 5 (19) |
| Leucopenia | 8 (11) | 3 (4) | 4 (15) |
| Thrombocytopenia | 3 (4) | 1 (1) | 6 (23) |
| SLEDAI, mean±SD (range)† | 5±5 (0–21) | 4±4 (0–14) | 9±7 (0–20) |
| Autoantibodies and complement† | |||
| Anti-dsDNA | 30 (43) | 15 (22) | 10 (38) |
| Anti-histone | 48 (69) | ND | ND |
| Anti-ENA | 14 (20) | ND | ND |
| Anti-C1q | 17 (24) | ND | ND |
| Low C3 or C4‡ | 49 (70) | 20 (29) | 9 (35) |
| Medication† | |||
| Prednisolone ≤7.5 mg daily | 16 (23) | 35 (51) | 10 (38) |
| Prednisolone >7.5 mg daily | 14 (20) | 14 (21) | 8 (31) |
| Antimalarials | 13 (19) | 45 (66) | 5 (19) |
| Azathioprine, MTX or mycophenylate mofetil | 30 (43) | 30 (44) | 15 (58) |
| SLICC/ACR Damage Index, mean±SD (range)† | 1±1 (0–8) | 2±2 (0–11) | ND |
| Antiphospholipid syndrome | 16 (23) | 20 (29) | ND |
*Values are numbers (per cent) of subjects unless otherwise stated.
†At study inclusion.
‡Values below the reference interval of the assay. Disease manifestations are recorded items in the SLEDAI and thus represent manifestations of active disease.
C1q, complement component C1q; C3, complement component C3; C4, complement component C4; DK, Denmark; dsDNA, double-stranded DNA; ENA, extractable nuclear antigen; IFN-α, interferon-α; MTX, methotrexate; ND, not determined; SE, Sweden; SLEDAI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; SLICC/ACR, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology.