Demographic and clinical data at baseline patients
| Overall | Without CCE | With CCE | P value | |
| n | 2399 | 2306 | 93 | |
| Demographic characteristics | ||||
| Male sex, N (%) | 183 (7.6) | 164 (7.1) | 19 (20.4) | <0.001 |
| Age, mean (SD) | 33.21 (12.75) | 32.68 (12.18) | 46.36 (18.27) | <0.001 |
| Obesity, N (%) | 247 (10.3) | 229 (9.9) | 18 (19.4) | 0.006 |
| Traditional CCE risk factors | ||||
| Hypertension, N (%) | 240 (10.0) | 216 (9.4) | 24 (25.8) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus, N (%) | 41 (1.7) | 36 (1.6) | 5 (5.4) | 0.018 |
| Smoking, N (%) | 53 (2.2) | 42 (1.8) | 11 (11.8) | <0.001 |
| Hyperlipidaemia, N (%) | 246 (10.3) | 232 (10.1) | 14 (15.1) | 0.167 |
| SLE-related characteristics | ||||
| Age at SLE onset >40, N (%) | 571 (23.8) | 517 (22.4) | 54 (58.1) | <0.001 |
| Duration of SLE (mean (SD)) | 0.18 (0.37) | 0.18 (0.38) | 0.18 (0.24) | 0.986 |
| Cutaneous involvement, N (%) | 566 (23.6) | 551 (23.9) | 15 (16.1) | 0.109 |
| Nonscarring alopecia, N (%) | 950 (39.6) | 919 (39.9) | 31 (33.3) | 0.249 |
| Oral or nasal ulcers, N (%) | 204 (8.5) | 196 (8.5) | 8 (8.6) | 1.000 |
| Arthritis, N (%) | 682 (28.4) | 666 (28.9) | 16 (17.2) | 0.020 |
| Serositis, N (%) | 288 (12.0) | 273 (11.8) | 15 (16.1) | 0.278 |
| Nephritis, N (%) | 834 (34.8) | 795 (34.5) | 39 (41.9) | 0.171 |
| Neuropsychiatric SLE, N (%) | 67 (2.8) | 63 (2.7) | 4 (4.3) | 0.562 |
| Anaemia, N (%) | 655 (27.3) | 612 (26.5) | 43 (46.2) | <0.001 |
| Leucopenia, N (%) | 380 (15.8) | 364 (15.8) | 16 (17.2) | 0.824 |
| Thrombocytopenia, N (%) | 367 (15.3) | 345 (15.0) | 22 (23.7) | 0.033 |
| Hypocomplementaemia, N (%) | 1394 (58.1) | 1339 (58.1) | 55 (59.1) | 0.921 |
| SLE disease activity index, mean (SD) | 8.00 (7.05) | 7.98 (7.04) | 8.54 (7.20) | 0.454 |
| Antibody positivity | ||||
| ANA, N (%) | 2334 (97.3) | 2241 (97.2) | 93 (100.0) | 0.188 |
| Anti-dsDNA, N (%) | 1697 (70.7) | 1635 (70.9) | 62 (66.7) | 0.445 |
| Anti-Sm, N (%) | 915 (38.1) | 880 (38.2) | 35 (37.6) | 1.000 |
| Anti-SSA, N (%) | 762 (31.8) | 721 (31.3) | 41 (44.1) | 0.013 |
| Anti-SSB, N (%) | 266 (11.1) | 251 (10.9) | 15 (16.1) | 0.158 |
| Anti-rRNP, N (%) | 289 (12.0) | 280 (12.1) | 9 (9.7) | 0.580 |
| Anti-RNP, N (%) | 494 (20.6) | 469 (20.3) | 25 (26.9) | 0.162 |
| LA, N (%) | 105 (4.4) | 98 (4.2) | 7 (7.5) | 0.209 |
| ACL, N (%) | 185 (7.7) | 170 (7.4) | 15 (16.1) | 0.004 |
| Anti-β2GP1, N (%) | 195 (8.1) | 179 (7.8) | 16 (17.2) | 0.002 |
| Treatment | ||||
| Glucocorticoids, N (%) | 1599 (66.7) | 1531 (66.4) | 68 (73.1) | 0.216 |
| Maximal glucocorticoids dose, mg/d, mean (SD) | 45.89 (150.1) | 43.75 (143.8) | 98.95 (257.8) | 0.001 |
| High-dose glucocorticoids, N (%) | 179 (7.5) | 162 (7.0) | 17 (18.3) | <0.001 |
| HCQ, N (%) | 1398 (58.3) | 1356 (58.8) | 42 (45.2) | 0.012 |
| MTX, N (%) | 150 (6.3) | 147 (6.4) | 3 (3.2) | 0.312 |
| CTX, N (%) | 344 (14.3) | 316 (13.7) | 28 (30.1) | <0.001 |
| MMF, N (%) | 283 (11.8) | 276 (12.0) | 7 (7.5) | 0.255 |
| CsA, N (%) | 83 (3.5) | 80 (3.5) | 3 (3.2) | 1.000 |
| TAC, N (%) | 78 (3.3) | 77 (3.3) | 1 (1.1) | 0.364 |
ACL, anticardiolipin antibody; ANA, antinuclear antibody; CCEs, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events; CsA, cyclosporin A; CTX, cyclophosphamide; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; LA, lupus anticoagulant; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; MTX, methotrexate; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; TAC, tacrolimus.