Demographic and disease characteristics in patients who entered the longterm continuation study.
| Characteristic | All, n = 296 | Autoantibody Positive, n = 221 |
|---|---|---|
| Women, % | 93 | 96 |
| Mean age, yrs | 43 | 41 |
| Ethnicity, % | ||
| White | 72 | 69 |
| Black | 22 | 24 |
| Other | 6 | 7 |
| Mean disease duration, yrs | 8.8 | 9.2 |
| Mean SELENA-SLEDAI score | 9.2 | 9.4 |
| ≥ 1 BILAG A or ≥ 2 B scores, % | 64 | 64 |
| Mean PGA score | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Daily prednisone use | ||
| All doses, % | 67 | 72 |
| > 7.5 mg/day, % | 33 | 38 |
| Average dose, mg/day | 9.9* | 10.0† |
| Immunosuppressant use, % | 50 | 52 |
| Azathioprine | 19 | 21 |
| Methotrexate | 17 | 15 |
| MMF | 14 | 17 |
| Positive autoantibodies, %‡ | ||
| ANA§ | 73 | 94 |
| Anti-dsDNA¶ | 50 | 67 |
| Anti-RNP | 44 | 57 |
| Anticardiolipin | 26 | 32 |
| Anti-Smith | 19 | 24 |
| Low C4 (< 16 mg/dl), % | 42 | 50 |
| Low C3 (< 90 mg/dl), % | 28 | 36 |
↵In * 199 and
↵† 159 patients taking prednisone at baseline;
↵‡ in patients with baseline assessment for biomarker;
↵§ antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer ≥ 1:80;
↵¶ anti-dsDNA ≥ 30 IU/ml. BILAG: British Isles Lupus Assessment Group; C: complement; MMF: mycophenolate mofetil; PGA: Physician’s Global Assessment; SELENA-SLEDAI: Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-SLE Disease Activity Index.