Comparison of the BCDT and conventionally treated patients
| BCDT group | Control group | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics | |||
| Age (years) | 34.38 | 34.67 | ND (p=0.626) |
| Gender (women/men) | 16/0 | 48/0 | ND |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian 9 A/C 4 South-Asian 3 | Caucasians 27 A/C 12 South-Asian 9 | ND |
| Clinical manifestations | |||
| Joint involvement | 16 | 44 | ND (p=0.56) |
| Skin manifestations | 11 (68.8%) | 28 (58.3%) | ND (p=0.46) |
| Serositis | 3 (18.8%) | 15 (31.3%) | ND (p=0.336) |
| Pleurisy | 1 (6.3%) | 3 (6.3%) | ND (p=1.00) |
| Renal lupus | 2 (12.5%) | 9 (18.8%) | ND (p=0.57) |
| CNS lupus | 0 | 4 (8.3% | ND (p=0.233) |
| Autoimmune hepatitis | 0 | 2 | ND (p=0.41) |
| BILAG score | 26.68 | 11.08 | p=0.005** |
| Serological markers | |||
| ESR (mm/hour) | 62.13±41.5 | 32.89±29.8 | p=0.005** |
| Complement (g/L) | 0.68±0.3 | 1.22±1.76 | p=0.068** |
| Anti-dsDNA (IU/mL) | 1113.87±1699.4 | 129±233 | p=0.001** |
| IgG (g/L) | 17.8±6.09 | 17.8±3.4 | ND (p=0.98) |
| Treatment | |||
| Prednisolone dose at first treatment (mg/day) | 11.5 | 29.12±35.2 | p=0.02** |
BCDT, B-cell depletion treatment; BILAG, British Isles Lupus Assessment Group; CNS, central nervous system; dsDNA, double-stranded DNA; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
**indicates statistical significance.