Clinical Characteristics of EGPA Patients in Comparison to GPA Subgroup with Increased Blood Eosinophilia from POLVAS Registry
Table 2
Demographic and clinical characteristics of EGPA patients diagnosed before and after the 2012 year.
Variable
≤2012 (n = 70)
>2012 (n = 41)
p-Value
Demographic characteristics
Age at diagnosis, years
41.3 (33.1–52.4)
49.17 (40.3–58.4)
<0.01
Female gender, number (%)
51 (72.86)
26 (63.41)
0.30
Smoking in the past, number (%)
4 (5.71)
8 (19.51)
0.97
Clinical manifestations
Constitutional symptoms
65 (92.86)
34 (82.93)
0.23
Musculoskeletal
31 (44.29)
24 (58.54)
0.11
Cutaneous
37 (52.86)
21 (51.22)
0.96
Ocular
3 (4.29)
4 (9.76)
0.25
ENT
64 (91.43)
28 (68.29)
<0.01
Respiratory
69 (98.57)
38 (92.68)
0.62
Cardiovascular
35 (50.00)
12 (29.27)
Gastrointestinal
20 (28.57)
12 (29.27)
0.89
Renal
20 (28.57)
10 (24.39)
0.64
Central nervous system
6 (8.57)
5 (12.20)
0.52
Neurological
36 (51.43)
17 (41.46)
0.36
Flare-ups, number
3 (1–3)
0 (0–1)
<0.01
Flare-ups, number/time of observation, years
0.28 (0.18–0.35)
0.00 (0.00–0.33)
Patients with flare-ups requiring hospital admission, number
15 (21.43)
12 (29.27)
0.26
Remission induction therapy
Oral glucocorticosteroids
69 (98.57)
34 (82.93)α
<0.01
Glucocorticosteroid pulses
56 (80.00)
18 (43.90)
<0.01
Cyclophosphamide
31 (44.29)
18 (43.90)
0.75
Azathioprine
11 (15.71)
3 (7.32)
0.25
Methotrexate
8 (11.43)
13 (31.71)
<0.01
Mycophenolate mofetil
0 (0.00)
5 (12.20)
<0.01
The cumulative time of glucocorticosteroid treatment, years
7.00 (5.00–10.00)
2.00 (1.00–4.00)
<0.01
The cumulative dose of intravenous glucocorticosteroids (g)
4.20 (0.00–8.60)
1.45 (0.00–6.00)
0.37
Maintenance therapy
Oral glucocorticosteroids
37 (52.86)
32 (78.05)
0.08
Azathioprine
19 (27.14)
15 (36.59)
0.36
Methotrexate
9 (12.86)
19 (46.34)
<0.01
Mycophenolate mofetil
5 (7.14)
11 (26.83)
0.09
Laboratory parameters
Blood eosinophilia (/μl)β
4,946 (2,400–8,253)
3,200 (358–5,800)
<0.01
Max. CRP at diagnosis (mg/l)
23.9 (10.0–58.0)
22.7 (10.0–60.0)
0.91
ANCA-positive, n (%)
23 (32.86)
22 (53.66)
0.11
Categorical variables are presented as numbers (percentages), continuous variables as median, and 0.25–0.75 interquartile range. αAmong seven cases that did not receive oral GCs in the remission induction phase, all but one were administered intravenous GCs and the remaining one cyclophosphamide; in the maintenance therapy, all received oral GCs. βData available in 55 (78.57.%) and 26 (63.41%) EGPA patients in the first and second subgroups, respectively. Statistically significant differences are highlighted with an asterisk. Abbreviations: ANCA, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; EGPA, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; and ENT, ear/nose/throat.
