Demographic characteristics of the patients with SLE included in the serum study
| Characteristics | Belgian population (n=27) | Dutch population (n=60) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (mean year±SD) | 28.7±9.9 | 42.8±10.7 |
| Women/men | 27/0 | 60/0 |
| Active lupus nephritis (n) | 18 | 0 |
| Arthritis, >2 swollen joints at baseline (n) | 7 | 0 |
| SLEDAI, median (IQR) | ||
| Patients without nephritis | 6 (4–10) | 4 (2–4) |
| Patients with nephritis at baseline | 23 (20–25) | – |
| Patients with nephritis at 3 months | 6 (4–10) | – |
| Serum C3 (mg/dl), mean±SEM | ||
| Patients without nephritis | 82.7±8.3 | 90.5±3.1 |
| Patients with nephritis at baseline | 42.7±5.7 | – |
| Serum anti-dsDNA Ab titres by Farr assay (U/ml), mean±SEM | ||
| Non-nephritis patients | 39.8±18.6 | 72.6±25.8 |
| Patients with nephritis | 718±119 | – |
| Steroids and other immunosuppressive treatments | ||
| Oral steroids (mg), n (mean dose) | 0 | 31 (6.0) |
| Azathioprine (mg), n (mean dose) | 0 | 19 (90.7) |
Ab, antibody; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI, SLE Disease Activity Index.