Baseline characteristics of patients in the continuation study (n=268)
| Patients in the continuation study (n=268) | |
| Mean (SD) age, years | 42.8 (11.3) |
| Female, n (%) | 250 (93.3) |
| Race, n (%) | |
| White | 186 (69.4) |
| Black or African American | 57 (21.3) |
| Other | 25 (9.4) |
| Mean (SD) SLE disease duration, years | 7.7 (6.8) |
| SELENA-SLEDAI Score, mean (SD) | 7.8 (3.9) |
| SDI category, n (%) | |
| 0 | 119 (44.4) |
| ≥1 | 149 (55.6) |
| B cells and biomarkers, mean (SD) | |
| B cells (CD19+) (/µL) | 143.0 (121.2) |
| B cells (CD20+) (/µL) | 140.7 (120.8) |
| Naïve B cells (CD19+/CD20+/CD27−) (/µL) | 116.6 (108.8) |
| Memory B cells (CD19+/CD20+/CD27+) (/µL) | 24.5 (27.1) |
| Activated B cells (CD19+/CD20+/CD69+) normalised, (count/mL) | 2.8 (3.5) |
| Plasmacytoid B cells (CD19+/CD20+/CD138+) normalised, (count/mL) | 1.8 (5.1) |
| SLE subset plasma cells (CD19+/CD27bright+/CD38bright+) (count/mL) | 0.3 (0.6) |
| Short-lived plasma B cells (CD19+/CD20−/CD27bright+) (/µL) | 0.3 (0.6) |
| Plasma B cells (CD19+/CD20−/CD138+) normalised, (count/mL) | 0.7 (1.3) |
| IgG (g/L) | 15.2 (6.1) |
| Medication, n (%) | |
| Steroids | 12 (4.5) |
| Immunosuppressants | 44 (16.4) |
| Antimalarials | 116 (43.3) |
CD, cluster of differentiation; SDI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index; SELENA-SLEDAI, Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment version of the SLE Disease Activity Index.