Characteristics of study population with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at time of inclusion
| Patient characteristics | SLE (n=349) |
| Female | 303 (87) |
| Age (years) | 43.7±13.4 |
| Duration of SLE (years) | 4 (1–13) |
| SLEDAI-2K | 4 (2–8) |
| SDI | 1 (0–2) |
| BMI | 24.9±5.1 |
| Current smoking | 99 (28) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Hypertension | 120 (35) |
| Diabetes | 17 (5) |
| ACR 1997 criteria for SLE | |
| Malar rash | 135 (39) |
| Discoid rash | 65 (19) |
| Photosensitivity | 179 (51) |
| Oral ulcers | 149 (43) |
| Non-erosive arthritis | 206 (59) |
| Pleuritis or pericarditis | 90 (26) |
| Renal disorder (ever) | 94 (27) |
| Neurological disorder (psychosis/epilepsy) | 43 (12) |
| Haematological disorder | 175 (50) |
| Immunological disorder | 265 (76) |
| Positive ANA | 340 (97) |
| Current immunosuppressive medication | |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 226 (65) |
| Prednisolone | 187 (54) |
| Azathioprine | 55 (16) |
| Methotrexate | 22 (6) |
| Belimumab | 2 (1) |
| Other* | 11 (3) |
| Current organ involvement | |
| Major NPSLE | |
| Inflammatory | 51 (15) |
| Ischaemic | 28 (8) |
| Combined | 25 (7) |
| Nephritis | 85 (24) |
| Arthritis | 17 (5) |
Results are presented as n (%), mean±SD or median (IQR).
*Other: includes cyclophosphamide (n=9) and tacrolimus (n=2).
ACR, American College of Rheumatology; ANA, anti-nuclear antibodies; BMI, body mass index; NPSLE, neuropsychiatric SLE; SDI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index; SLEDAI, SLE Disease Activity Index.