Changes in clinical and laboratory parameters in the study upon treatment with rituximab
| Parameter | Statistic | Week 0 (n = 8) | Week 12 (n = 8) | Week 24 (n = 7) | |||
| Total skin score* | Mean, SD | 24.8 | 3.4 | 19.4 | 5.4 | 14.3 | 3.5 |
| Median | 24.5 | 18.0 | 15.0 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 21.0 | 30.0 | 12.0 | 26.0 | 9.0 | 18.0 | |
| DLCO (% of normal)† | Mean, SD | 73.3 | 22.7 | 68.5 | 22.1 | 73.0 | 18.1 |
| Median | 60.5 | 60.0 | 64.0 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 54.0 | 111.0 | 46.0 | 106.0 | 55.0 | 98.0 | |
| Lung vital capacity (% of normal)† | Mean, SD | 92.8 | 8.6 | 88.5 | 12.9 | 88.3 | 9.3 |
| Median | 92.5 | 92.5 | 91.0 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 76.0 | 106.0 | 68.0 | 101.0 | 71.0 | 99.0 | |
| Forced expiratory volume (% of normal)† | Mean, SD | 83.9 | 8.1 | 81.0 | 17.7 | 77.0 | 9.8 |
| Median | 87.0 | 82.5 | 78.0 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 71.0 | 94.0 | 49.0 | 104.0 | 66.0 | 93.0 | |
| Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (mm Hg)† | Mean, SD | 31.0 | 4.0 | 28.0 | 5.3 | 30.0 | 3.7 |
| Median | 30.0 | 26.0 | 29.5 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 26.0 | 36.0 | 23.0 | 37.0 | 26.0 | 35.0 | |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (% of normal)† | Mean, SD | 69.6 | 2.3 | 67.4 | 2.2 | 67.0 | 4.2 |
| Median | 70.0 | 68.0 | 66.5 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 66.0 | 72.0 | 64.0 | 70.0 | 63.0 | 72.0 | |
| Creatinine clearance (ml/minute per 1.73 m2)† | Mean, SD | 83.0 | 32.5 | 80.2 | 30.0 | 74.2 | 20.2 |
| Median | 87.1 | 81.0 | 78.2 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 30.8 | 143.6 | 35.3 | 140.0 | 36.7 | 91.8 | |
| Total SF-36† | Mean, SD | 41.2 | 15.1 | 41.2 | 21.5 | 51.1 | 22.4 |
| Median | 40.9 | 31.0 | 39.7 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 18.9 | 58.5 | 19.3 | 76.8 | 25.2 | 89.6 | |
| HAQ-DI†‡ | Mean, SD | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Median | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 2.1 | |
| Disease activity score* | Mean, SD | 4.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Median | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | ||||
| Minimum, maximun | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | |
*p<0.05; †p>0.05. ‡The health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) was calculated on 19 questions. DLCO, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; SF-36, 36-item Short Form health survey.