Clinical characteristics and treatment at the time of blood sampling for the 100 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and for the 47 patients with SLE included for analysis of autologous polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) by the oxidative burst assay. Items included in the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI) are shown.
| Characteristics | SLEa Lower, n = 100 | SLEb Higher, n = 100 | SLEc, n = 47 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, median (range) | 43 (19–81) | 41 (14–75) | 47 (21–77) |
| Women, % | 90 | 90 | 87 |
| Disease duration, yrs, median (range) | 7 (0–43) | 4 (0–40) | 7 (0–43) |
| SLEDAI 2K score, median (range) | 2 (0–12) | 9 (2–28) | 2.5 (0–13) |
| Seizure | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Psychosis | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Organic brain syndrome | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visual disturbance | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Cranial nerve disorder | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lupus headache | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Vasculitis | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Arthritis | 1 | 30 | 4 |
| Myositis | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Kidney involvement (urinary cast, hematuria, proteinuria, or pyuria) | 1 | 35 | 3 |
| Rash | 4 | 31 | 1 |
| Alopecia | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Oral ulcers | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Pleurisy | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Pericarditis | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Low complement (C3 or C4) | 41 | 54 | 18 |
| Anti-DNA antibodies | 24 | 49 | 16 |
| Fever | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Leukopenia | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 33 | 31 | 35 |
| Chloroquine phosphate | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Azathioprine | 21 | 18 | 13 |
| Mycophenolate mofetil | 16 | 9 | 5 |
| Rituximab (within 12 months) | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Methotrexate | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Cyclophosphamide | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Cyclosporine A | 9 | 5 | 1 |