Patient characteristics
| Overall (n=1977) | MPA (n=49) | No MPA (n=1928) | MPA eligible* (n=393) | |
| Age (years) | ||||
| 18–54 | 944 (47.7) | 36 (73.5) | 908 (47.1) | 189 (48.1) |
| 55–64 | 412 (20.8) | 7 (14.3) | 405 (21.0) | 66 (16.8) |
| 65–74 | 352 (17.8) | 5 (10.2) | 347 (18.0) | 75 (19.1) |
| ≥75 | 269 (13.6) | 1 (2.0) | 268 (13.9) | 63 (16.0) |
| Mean±SD | 55.3±16.6 | 44.9±14.6 | 55.6±16.6 | 54.9±18.1 |
| Female gender | 1317 (66.6) | 36 (73.5) | 1281 (66.4) | 301 (76.6) |
| Comorbidities†† | ||||
| Respiratory disease (all) | 269 (13.6) | 19 (38.8) | 250 (13.0) | 64 (16.3) |
| Interstitial lung disease | 94 (4.8) | 17 (34.7) | 77 (4.0) | 34 (8.7) |
| COPD | 79 (4.0) | 2 (4.1) | 77 (4.0) | 18 (4.6) |
| Asthma | 115 (5.8) | 1 (2.0) | 114 (5.9) | 18 (4.6) |
| Cardiac disease (all) | 222 (11.2) | 9 (18.4) | 213 (11.1) | 61 (15.5) |
| Coronary heart disease | 183 (9.3) | 5 (10.2) | 178 (9.2) | 49 (12.5) |
| Stroke | 56 (2.8) | 5 (10.2) | 51 (2.6) | 17 (4.3) |
| Diabetes | 195 (9.9) | 1 (2.0) | 194 (10.1) | 39 (9.9) |
| BMI (kg/m²) | ||||
| <30 | 1342 (75.4) | 32 (71.1) | 1310 (75.5) | 293 (80.1) |
| 30–39.9 | 389 (21.9) | 13 (28.9) | 376 (21.7) | 65 (17.8) |
| ≥40 | 49 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) | 49 (2.8) | 8 (2.2) |
| Mean±SD | 26.4±5.5 | 26.3±5.3 | 26.4±5.5 | 25.8±5.5 |
| Hypertension | 474 (24.0) | 9 (18.4) | 465 (24.2) | 102 (26.0) |
| Cancer | 71 (3.6) | 0 (0.0) | 71 (3.7) | 25 (6.4) |
| Smoking | 187 (9.5) | 4 (8.2) | 183 (9.5) | 37 (9.4) |
| Chronic renal failure | 94 (4.8) | 9 (18.4) | 85 (4.4) | 40 (10.2) |
| No. of patients with at least one comorbidity | 1343 (68.1) | 44 (89.8) | 1 299 (67.5) | 272 (69.2) |
| Disease history | ||||
| Systemic lupus | 134 (6.8) | 22 (44.9) | 112 (5.8) | 112 (28.5) |
| Systemic sclerosis | 76 (3.8) | 18 (36.7) | 58 (3.0) | 58 (14.8) |
| Others | 835 (42.2) | 2 (4.1) | 833 (43.2) | 33 (8.4) |
| Other vasculitis | 143 (7.2) | 2 (4.1) | 141 (7.3) | 49 (12.5) |
| Inflammatory myopathy | 30 (1.5) | 2 (4.1) | 28 (1.5) | 28 (7.1) |
| Mixed connective tissue disease | 12 (0.6) | 2 (4.1) | 10 (0.5) | 10 (2.5) |
| Eye inflammation | 3 (0.2) | 1 (2.0) | 2 (0.1) | 2 (0.5) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 643 (32.5) | 0 (0.0) | 643 (33.4) | 0 (0.0) |
| Primary Sjögren syndrome | 56 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) | 56 (2.9) | 56 (14.2) |
| Vasculitis associate | 41 (2.1) | 0 (0.0) | 41 (2.1) | 41 (10.4) |
| IgG4-related disease | 4 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (0.2) | 4 (1.0) |
| Rheumatic disease or AI²D treatments | ||||
| Corticosteroid | 565 (28.6) | 35 (71.4) | 530 (27.5) | 181 (46.1) |
| Systemic corticosteroid doses ≥10 mg | 211 (37.7) | 13 (37.1) | 198 (37.7) | 80 (44.4) |
| NSAIDs | 167 (8.4) | 0 (0.0) | 167 (8.7) | 12 (3.1) |
| Colchicine | 77 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | 77 (4.0) | 20 (5.1) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 181 (9.2) | 21 (42.9) | 160 (8.3) | 129 (32.8) |
| Methotrexate | 687 (34.7) | 0 (0.0) | 687 (35.6) | 64 (16.3) |
| Leflunomide | 73 (3.7) | 0 (0.0) | 73 (3.8) | 3 (0.8) |
| Salazopyrine | 24 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 24 (1.2) | 2 (0.5) |
| Azathioprine | 26 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | 26 (1.3) | 21 (5.3) |
| IVIGs | 9 (0.5) | 2 (4.1) | 7 (0.4) | 7 (1.8) |
| Biologicals | ||||
| Anti-TNF | 563 (28.5) | 0 (0.0) | 563 (29.2) | 12 (3.1) |
| Anti-IL6 | 75 (3.8) | 1 (2.0) | 74 (3.8) | 4 (1.0) |
| Anti-IL17a | 60 (3.0) | 0 (0.0) | 60 (3.1) | 1 (0.3) |
| Anti-IL1 | 15 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 15 (0.8) | 1 (0.3) |
| Anti-CD20 | 111 (5.6) | 1 (2.0) | 110 (5.7) | 52 (13.2) |
| Abatacept | 45 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) | 45 (2.3) | 1 (0.3) |
| JAK inhibitor | 76 (3.8) | 0 (0.0) | 76 (3.9) | 1 (0.3) |
| Other biologicals | 37 (1.9) | 2 (4.1) | 35 (1.8) | 10 (2.5) |
Values are presented as n (percentage) unless otherwise indicated.
*The eligible subgroup included patients who did not receive MPA despite having diseases for which MPA is a recognised therapeutic option.
†3 missing values for comorbidities (in no MPA treatment group) except for BMI where 197 values are missing (treated group: n=4; no MPA treatment group: n=193; eligible subgroup: n=27).
AI2D, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases; BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IL, interleukin; IVIGs, intravenous immunoglobulins; JAK, janus kinase; MPA, mycophenolic acid; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.