Characteristic | Maintenance group (n=61) | Withdrawal group (n=63) |
Age, years | 41±1.7 | 44±1.6 |
Women | 55 (90) | 56 (89) |
Disease duration, months | 147±86 | 163±96 |
Quiescence duration, months | 56±6 | 68±7 |
Mean SELENA–SLEDAI score | 1.5±0.2 | 1.4±0.2 |
History of | ||
Lupus nephritis | 21 (34) | 26 (41) |
Neuropsychiatric lupus | 4 (7) | 8 (13) |
Arthritis | 43 (71) | 55 (87) |
Cutaneous lupus | 35 (57) | 39 (62) |
Serositis | 15 (25) | 17 (27) |
SDI score | 0.5±0.1 | 0.7±0.2 |
Low C3 | 17 (28) | 18 (29) |
Increased dsDNA binding | 29 (48) | 28 (46) |
Low C3 and increased dsDNA binding | 10 (16) | 10 (16) |
HCQ use | 57 (93) | 56 (89) |
[HCQ], μg/L | 1071±66 | 953±55 |
[HCQ]>750 µg/L* | 38/56† (68) | 38/56† (68) |
Corticoid duration, months | 137±11 | 145±13 |
Immunosuppressive drugs | 17 (28) | 16 (25) |
Methotrexate | 10 (16) | 3 (5) |
Azathioprine | 3 (5) | 1 (2) |
Mycophenolate mofetil | 4 (7) | 12 (19) |
Values are expressed as n (%).
Plus–minus values are means±SD.
*Considered to be the therapeutic target.45
†Positive assay/number of patients taking HCQ. One HCQ serum concentration was missing in the maintenance group.
C3, Complement fraction 3; dsDNA, double-stranded DNA; [HCQ], blood concentration; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine;SDI, SLICC damage index; SELENA-SLEDAI, Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus:National Assessment version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; SLICC, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics.