Baseline characteristics of the patients according to progression to a more severe CKD stage.
| Characteristics | Progressors, n = 45 | Non-progressors, n = 73 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, mean ± SD | 38.5 ± 11.9 | 46.2 ± 13.7 | 0.002 |
| Females, % (n) | 84.4 (38) | 86.3 (63) | 0.78 |
| SLE duration, yrs, mean ± SD | 10.7 ± 8.2 | 11.4 ± 11.0 | 0.703 |
| White, % (n) | 62.2 (28) | 64.4 (47) | 0.63 |
| Blacks, % (n) | 20 (9) | 15.1 (11) | |
| Chinese, % (n) | 8.9 (4) | 5.5 (4) | |
| Others, % (n) | 8.9 (4) | 15.1 (11) | |
| LN class, % (n) | 0.2 | ||
| II | 17.8 (8) | 28.8 (21) | |
| III | 20 (9) | 16.4 (12) | |
| IV | 46.7 (21) | 27.4 (20) | |
| V | 13.3 (6) | 17.8 (13) | |
| IV/V | 0 (0) | 2.7 (2) | |
| Activity index, mean ± SD | 5.7 ± 4.8 | 4.5 ± 4.1 | 0.18 |
| Chronicity index, mean ± SD | 3.1 ± 3.1 | 2.1 ± 2.3 | 0.066 |
| SLEDAI-2K, mean ± SD | 8.5 ± 5.7 | 7.6 ± 6.7 | 0.466 |
| SDI, mean ± SD | 1.7 ± 2.4 | 1.6 ± 1.9 | 0.866 |
| Creatinine, μmol/l, mean ± SD | 174 ± 41 | 165 ± 48 | 0.264 |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2, mean ± SD | 34.7 ± 6.9 | 35.9 ± 7.8 | 0.393 |
| Proteinuria > 0.5 g/day, % (n) | 57.8 (26) | 56.2 (41) | 0.695 |
| Proteinuria, g/day, median (IQR) | 0.8 (0.3–3) | 1.4 (0.4–3) | 0.348 |
| Active urinary sediment, % (n)* | 6.7 (3) | 2.7 (2) | 0.304 |
| Anti-dsDNA+, % (n) | 66.7 (30) | 52.1 (38) | 0.129 |
| Low C3/C4, % (n) | 55.6 (25) | 45.2 (33) | 0.275 |
| Anti-dsDNA + low C3/C4, % (n) | 46.7 (21) | 32.9 (24) | 0.134 |
| Hb < 12 g/dl, % (n) | 46.7 (21) | 27.4 (20) | 0.033 |
| Systolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 141 ± 22 | 136 ± 23 | 0.237 |
| Diastolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 87 ± 10 | 82 ± 12 | 0.014 |
| Antihypertensives, % (n) | 68.9 (31) | 63.0 (46) | 0.4 |
| Treated with ACEI/ARB, % (n) | 53.3 (24) | 47.9 (35) | 0.57 |
| Diabetes, % (n) | 11.1 (5) | 13.7 (10) | 0.667 |
| Treated with statins, % (n) | 17.8 (8) | 26.0 (19) | 0.3 |
| Glucocorticosteroids, % (n) | 93.3 (42) | 78.1 (57) | 0.029 |
| Mean prednisone dose, mg/day, mean ± SD | 19.9 ± 19.3 | 16.1 ± 17.9 | 0.273 |
| Cumulative glucocorticosteroid dose, g, mean ± SD** | 21.3 ± 27.4 | 18.7 ± 32.9 | 0.651 |
| Antimalarials, % (n) | 51.1 (23) | 30.1 (22) | 0.023 |
| Years on antimalarials, mean ± SD** | 0.2 ± 5.8 | 1.4 ± 5.1 | 0.222 |
| Immunosuppressives, % (n) | 60.0 (27) | 53.4 (39) | 0.485 |
| Years taking immunosuppressives, mean ± SD** | 2.1 ± 9.1 | 1.9 ± 6.0 | 0.886 |
↵* Casts and/or hematuria > 10 red blood cells per high power field.
↵** From LN diagnosis (time of biopsy) up to the baseline. CKD: chronic kidney disease; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; LN: lupus nephritis; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate; IQR: interquartile range; Hb: hemoglobin; SLEDAI-2K: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000; SDI: Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index; BP: blood pressure; ACEI: angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitors; ARB: angiotensin receptor blockers.