Demographic and lupus characterisation of cohorts
| All (N=132) | HCQ (n=108) | No HCQ (n=24) | P value | HCQ RNA-seq (n=41) | No HCQ RNA-seq (n=8) | P value | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 39.7 (12.9) | 39.4 (12.7) | 40.8 (14.2) | 0.66 | 40.9 (12.2) | 44.9 (14.0) | 0.47 |
| Female, n (%) | 128 (97.0) | 104 (96.3) | 24 (100) | 0.04 | 41 (100) | 8 (100) | 1 |
| Race, n (%) | |||||||
| Asian | 27 (20.5) | 25 (23.1) | 2 (8.3) | 0.04 | 10 (24.4) | 1 (12.5) | 0.42 |
| Black or African American | 41 (31.1) | 33 (30.6) | 8 (33.3) | 0.8 | 10 (24.4) | 0 (0) | >0.01 |
| White | 59 (44.7) | 46 (42.6) | 13 (54.2) | 0.32 | 20 (48.8) | 6 (75.0) | 0.18 |
| Other/unknown | 5 (3.7) | 4 (3.7) | 1 (4.2) | 1 | 1 (2.4) | 1 (12.5) | 0.33 |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |||||||
| Hispanic or Latino | 49 (37.1) | 37 (34.3) | 12 (50.0) | 0.18 | 18 (43.9) | 5 (62.5) | 0.37 |
| SELENA SLEDAI domains* (%) | |||||||
| Seizure | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Psychosis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Organic brain syndrome | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Visual disturbance | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Cranial nerve disorder | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Lupus headache | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Vasculitis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Arthritis | 2 (1.5) | 1 (1.0) | 1 (4.2) | 0.45 | 1 (2.4) | 1 (12.5) | 0.45 |
| Myositis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Haematuria | 4 (3.3) | 2 (2.1) | 2 (8.7) | 0.29 | 2 (5.4) | 2 (25) | 0.28 |
| Proteinuria | 29 (22.0) | 24 (23.8) | 5 (21.7) | 0.84 | 12 (30.8) | 2 (25) | 0.76 |
| Pyuria | 5 (3.8) | 5 (5.1) | 0 (0) | 0.02 | 3 (7.9) | 0 (0) | 0.08 |
| Rash | 20 (15.2) | 15 (13.9) | 5 (20.8) | 0.45 | 7 (17.1) | 1 (12.5) | 0.75 |
| Alopecia | 10 (7.6) | 7 (6.5) | 3 (12.5) | 0.42 | 4 (9.8) | 0 (0) | 0.04 |
| Mucosal ulcers | 2 (1.5) | 1 (1) | 1 (4.2) | 0.45 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Pleurisy | 2 (1.5) | 0 (0 | 2 (8.3) | 0.16 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Pericarditis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Low complement | 54 (40.9) | 43 (41.7) | 11 (45.8) | 0.72 | 21 (51.2) | 3 (37.5) | 0.51 |
| Anti-dsDNA | 49 (37.1) | 39 (39.4) | 10 (45.5) | 0.62 | 17 (43.6) | 4 (57.1) | 0.55 |
| Fever | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Thrombocytopaenia | 4 (3.0) | 2 (2.0) | 2 (8.7) | 0.28 | 2 (5.0) | 1 (12.5) | 0.58 |
| Mean total SLEDAI (SD) | 3.58 (3.56) | 3.45 (3.47) | 4.09 (3.99) | 0.5 | 4.41 (4.32) | 5.29 (4.79) | 0.67 |
| ACR criteria (%) | |||||||
| Malar rash | 67 (50.8) | 56 (51.9) | 11 (45.8) | 0.6 | 21 (51.2) | 5 (62.5) | 0.58 |
| Discoid rash | 30 (22.7) | 23 (21.3) | 7 (29.2) | 0.45 | 12 (29.3) | 3 (37.5) | 0.68 |
| Photosensitivity | 49 (37.1) | 39 (36.1) | 10 (41.7) | 0.63 | 10 (24.4) | 5 (62.5) | 0.08 |
| Oral ulcers | 25 (19.1) | 18 (16.8) | 7 (29.2) | 0.23 | 3 (7.3) | 5 (62.5) | 0.02 |
| Arthritis | 99 (75) | 80 (74.1) | 19 (79.2) | 0.59 | 30 (73.2) | 6 (75) | 0.92 |
| Pleuritis | 22 (16.7) | 16 (14.8) | 6 (25) | 0.3 | 9 (22) | 2 (25) | 0.87 |
| Pericarditis | 24 (18.2) | 19 (17.6) | 5 (20.8) | 0.73 | 8 (19.5) | 2 (25) | 0.76 |
| Proteinuria | 63 (47.7) | 52 (48.1) | 10 (41.7) | 0.84 | 22 (53.7) | 3 (37.5) | 0.44 |
| Seizures | 4 (3) | 3 (2.8) | 1 (4.2) | 0.76 | 1 (2.4) | 0 (0) | 0.32 |
| Psychosis | 3 (2.3) | 2 (1.9) | 1 (4.2) | 0.6 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 |
| Haemolytic anaemia | 8 (6.1) | 7 (6.5) | 1 (4.2) | 0.63 | 1 (2.4) | 0 (0) | 0.32 |
| Leucopenia | 58 (43.9) | 49 (45.4) | 9 (37.5) | 0.49 | 17 (41.5) | 2 (25) | 0.38 |
| Lymphopaenia | 60 (45.5) | 51 (47.2) | 9 (37.5) | 0.39 | 24 (58.5) | 2 (25) | 0.09 |
| Thrombocytopaenia | 18 (13.6) | 14 (13) | 4 (16.7) | 0.66 | 6 (14.6) | 3 (37.5) | 0.26 |
| Anti-dsDNA | 99 (75) | 80 (74.1) | 19 (79.2) | 0.59 | 30 (73.2) | 6 (75) | 0.92 |
| Anti-Smith | 53 (40.2) | 45 (41.7) | 8 (33.3) | 0.45 | 20 (48.8) | 3 (37.5) | 0.58 |
| Antiphospholipid | 29 (22) | 14 (13) | 6 (25) | 0.22 | 7 (17.1) | 1 (12.5) | 0.75 |
| ANA | 123 (93.2) | 108 (100) | 24 (100) | 1 | 41 (100) | 8 (100) | 1 |
*Percentages and statistical testing were performed for each SLEDAI variable using the available denominator. SLEDAI values were available for >90% of patients.
ACR, American College of Rheumatology; anti-dsDNA, anti-double-stranded DNA; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; SLEDAI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index.