Summary of the evidence quality grading using GRADE.
| Risk Factor | No. Studies Included | Quality of Evidence (GRADE) |
|---|---|---|
| History of CS use | 1 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Current CS use | 3 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Average daily dose of CS | 16 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Highest dose of CS (mg/day) | 21 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Highest CS dose (g/month) | 4 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Total cumulative CS dose | 23 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Pulse of CS | 17 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Cushingoid appearance | 11 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Arthritis | 15 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Neuropsychiatric SLE | 24 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Raynaud phenomenon | 27 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Vasculitis | 15 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Serositis | 12 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Gastrointestinal involvement | 1 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Hypertension | 15 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Oral ulcers | 11 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Renal disease | 25 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Alopecia | 9 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| SLEDAI > 8 in the previous year | 1 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Anticardiolipin antibodies IgM | 8 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Anticardiolipin antibodies IgG | 10 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Lupus anticoagulant | 11 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Antimalarial | 14 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Mixed immunosuppressive agents | 10 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Cyclophosphamide use | 7 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Azathioprine use | 8 | ⊗⊗○○ LOW |
| Mycophenolate mofetil use | 4 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
| Methotrexate use | 3 | ⊗○○○ VERY LOW |
GRADE: Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; CS: corticosteroids; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI: SLE Disease Activity Index.