No. patients | 133 | 406 | |
Age, yrs | 55.4 ± 14.1 | 41.1 ± 15.0 | < 0.001* |
Body mass index | 21.3 ± 3.2 | 21.1 ± 3.1 | NS* |
Smoking, % | 18.0 | 18.1 | NS** |
Alcohol use, % | 8.6 | 11.3 | NS** |
Menstruation, % | 30.1 | 67.0 | < 0.001** |
Followup time, mo | 63.1 ± 65.3 | 109.3 ± 74.4 | < 0.001* |
Initial dose of PSL, mg/day | 38.3 ± 15.2 | 40.8 ± 14.1 | NS* |
Mean dose of PSL, mg/day | 20.1 ± 11.6 | 12.8 ± 6.3 | < 0.001* |
Cumulative dose of PSL, g | 24.8 ± 21.8 | 36.5 ± 27.2 | < 0.001* |
GC pulse therapy, % | 15.1 | 13.5 | NS** |
No. GC dose increases | | | |
0/1/2/3/4 | 58/51/16/6/2 | 262/81/39/20/4 | < 0.001** |
SLE, % | 27.8 | 42.1 | < 0.01** |
RA, % | 9.0 | 6.9 | NS** |
SS, % | 10.5 | 15.8 | NS** |
SSc/MCTD, % | 15.8 | 11.1 | NS** |
PM/DM, % | 12.0 | 10.1 | NS** |
Microscopic polyangiitis, % | 9.0 | 2.5 | < 0.01** |