Baseline characteristics of patients with SSc treated with rituximab and untreated SSc-controls from EUSTAR database
| Total (n=9829) | Non-treated (n=9575) | Treated (n=254) | P value | |
| Sex (Female) | 8437 (85.8%) | 8256 (86.2%) | 181 (71.3%) | <0.0001 |
| Age, Mean±SD | 54.4±13.8 | 55 (45–65) | 51 (44–58) | <0.0001 |
| Diffuse cutaneous form | 3022 (31%) | 2866 (30.2%) | 156 (63.9%) | <0.0001 |
| Disease duration (years), Median (Q1–Q3) | 5.2 (2:11.1) | 5.2 (2–11.1) | 4.2 (1.9–9.7) | 0.046 |
| ANA | 9053 (94.6%) | 8813 (94.5%) | 240 (98%) | 0.026 |
| Anti-Scl70 | 3123 (33.9%) | 2994 (33.4%) | 129 (52.9%) | <0.0001 |
| ACA | 3436 (37.4%) | 3410 (38.1%) | 26 (10.7%) | <0.0001 |
| RNA pol III antibodies | 162 (5.3%) | 145 (5.2%) | 17 (7%) | 0.31 |
| Modified Rodnan skin score, Median (Q1–Q3) | (0:86) | 7 (3–13) | 14 (6–24) | <0.0001 |
| Lung fibrosis (on HRCT) | 1686 (43.4%) | 1505 (41.4%) | 181 (71.3%) | <0.0001 |
| FVC, Mean±SD | 94.5±21.7 | 96 (81–110) | 77 (63–95.2) | <0.0001 |
| DLCO, Mean±SD | 70.2±23.1 | 71 (57–84) | 57 (43–72.3) | <0.0001 |
| Tender joints count, Median (Q1–Q3) | 0 (0:0) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–4) | <0.0001 |
| Swollen joints count, Median (Q1–Q3) | 0 (0:0) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0.8) | <0.0001 |
| CRP, Median (Q1–Q3) | 3 (1:7) | 2.4 (1–6) | 5 (2–14.6) | <0.0001 |
| Previous IS or biologics | 1798 (18.3%) | 1698 (17.7%) | 100 (39.4%) | <0.0001 |
| Steroids | 171 (67.3%) | |||
| Prednisone (mg/day), Median (Q1–Q3) | 0 (0:5) | 0 (0–5) | 5 (0–10) | <0.0001 |
| Follow-up (months) | 25.1 (18.5:38.1) | 25.1 (18.9–38) | 24.3 (13.3–41.4) | 0.005 |
Previous IS (immunosuppressive drugs) include methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine and cyclophosphamide, whereas biologics include anti-TNF alpha, tocilizumab and abatacept.
Values are median (IQR) or mean±SD or numbers (%) of observations.
Lung fibrosis was diagnosed on HRCT.
ACA, anticentromeres; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; DLCO, diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide; FVC, forced vital capacity; HRCT, high-resolution CT; RNA pol III, RNA polymerases III antibodies; SSc, systemic sclerosis.