Clinical characteristics of early relapses (within 3 yrs) and late relapses (beyond 3 yrs) in 139 Chinese patients with lupus nephritis (LN).
| Characteristics | Early Relapses, n = 56 | Late Relapses, n = 79 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of LN in preceding episode, n (%) | |||
| Class IV | 27 (48.2) | 44 (55.7) | 0.391 |
| Class III | 6 (10.7) | 11 (13.9) | 0.580 |
| Class III + V or IV + V | 23 (41.1) | 24 (30.4) | 0.199 |
| Treatment outcome in preceding episode, n (%) | |||
| Complete renal remission | 14 (25.0) | 35 (44.3) | 0.022 |
| Partial renal remission | 33 (58.9) | 56 (70.9) | 0.149 |
| Baseline laboratory measures, mean (± SD) | |||
| Urine protein, g/d | 4.4 ± 3.7 | 4.6 ± 3.0 | 0.188 |
| Serum creatinine, μmol/l | 86.2 ± 26.2 | 104.2 ± 65.2 | 0.029 |
| Serum C3, mg/dl | 50.7 ± 22.3 | 52.2 ± 23.6 | 0.593 |
| Anti-dsDNA, IU/ml | 183.8 ± 200.0 | 149.9 ± 184.7 | 0.207 |
| Induction treatment used in preceding episode of LN, n (%) | |||
| PRED + CYC | 39 (69.6) | 65 (82.3) | 0.085 |
| PRED + MPA | 17 (30.4) | 14 (17.7) | |
| Maintenance treatment used in preceding episode of LN, n (%) | |||
| PRED + AZA | 45 (80.4) | 69 (87.3) | 0.270 |
| PRED + MPA | 11 (19.6) | 10 (12.7) | |
| Dose of treatment at relapse, mg/d, mean (± SD) | |||
| PRED, mg/d | 8.9 ± 3.0 | 6.9 ± 2.8 | 0.002 |
| MPA, mg/d | 1099.2 ± 675.6 | 1135.6 ± 534.8 | 0.895 |
| AZA, mg/d | 72.5 ± 24.2 | 70.7 ± 49.1 | 0.880 |
AZA: azathioprine; CYC: cyclophosphamide; MPA: mycophenolic acid; PRED: prednisolone.