Demographic and cumulative disease manifestations since the diagnosis in 224 patients included in the cohort: overall and according to the type of remission achieved during the follow-up
| Overall | Prolonged complete remission | Prolonged clinical remission off CS | Prolonged clinical remission on CS | Unremitted disease | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients (N) | 224 | 16 | 33 | 35 | 140 | |
| Age, years, mean±SD | 37.5±11.6 | 39±13 | 36±8.6 | 37.9±11.4 | 36.5±11.4 | n.s. |
| Female, N (%) | 196 (87.5) | 13 (81.3) | 31 (93.9) | 32 (91.4) | 120 (85.7) | n.s. |
| SLE duration at 2009, years, mean±SD | 11.2±6.8 | 13.9±7.6 | 12.1±7.4 | 10.9±9.7 | 10.5±7.9 | n.s. |
| Lag time onset–diagnosis, months, mean±SD | 17.2±19.2 | 18.5±24 | 17.5±15.2 | 17.4±16.6 | 16.5±21.2 | n.s. |
| ANA positivity, N (%) | 224 (100) | 16 (100) | 33(100) | 35(100 | 140 (100) | n.s. |
| Anti-dsDNA Ab, N (%) | 188 (83.9) | 10 (62.5) | 30 (90.3) | 27 (77.1) | 125 (89.3) | 0.005 |
| Low C3 or C4 serum levels, N (%) | 191 (85.3) | 12 (75) | 29 (87.9) | 30 (85.7) | 120 (85.7) | n.s. |
| Disease manifestations | ||||||
| Systemic involvement, N (%) | 189 (84.3) | 11 (68.8) | 30 (90.9) | 28 (80) | 120 (85.7) | n.s. |
| Skin rashes, N (%) | 138 (61.6) | 6 (37.5) | 17 (51.5) | 23 (65.7) | 92 (65.7) | n.s. |
| Arthritis, N (%) | 163 (72.7) | 14 (87.5) | 22 (66.7) | 24 (68.6) | 103 (73.6) | n.s. |
| Serositis, N (%) | 59 (25.4) | 1 (6.3) | 7 (21.2) | 5 (14.3) | 44 (31.4) | 0.039 |
| Glomerulonephritis, N (%) | 115 (51.3) | 1 (6.3) | 14 (42.4) | 17 (48.6) | 83 (59.3) | 0.001 |
| Neuropsychiatric manifestations, N (%) | 26 (11.6) | 1 (6.3) | 2 (6.1) | 3 (8.6) | 20 (14.3) | n.s. |
| Vasculitis, N (%) | 27 (12) | 1 (6.3) | 1 (3.0) | 1 (2.9) | 24 (17.1) | 0.026 |
| Haematological involvement, N (%) | 108 (47.8) | 3 (18.8) | 12 (36.4) | 10 (28.6) | 83 (59.3) | 0.049 |
p Values refer to analysis of variance test for continuous variables and χ2 test (3 degrees of freedom) for dichotomous variables.
ANA, antinuclear antibodies; Anti-dsDNA Ab, anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies; C3/C4, complement fractions; CS, corticosteroids; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus.