Clinical Characteristics of EGPA Patients in Comparison to GPA Subgroup with Increased Blood Eosinophilia from POLVAS Registry
Table 3
Demographic and clinical characteristics of EGPA and GPA patients divided according to eosinophilia.
Variable
EGPA, n = 111
GPA HE, n = 42
GPA NE, n = 281
p-Value EGPA vs. GPA HE
p-Value EGPA vs. GPA NE
p-Value GPA HE vs. GPA NE
Demographic characteristics
Age at diagnosis, years
45.0 (34.8–54.9)
49.8 (35.0–56.0)
55.3 (41.5–51.8)
0.44
<0.01
Time of observation, years
6.61 (4.12–9.70)
7.00 (4.91–13.76)
5.10 (2.25–9.59)
0.30
0.06
Female gender, number
77 (69.37)
16 (38.10)
151 (53.74)
<0.01
0.08
Smoking in the past
47 (42.34)
11 (26.19)
62 (22.06)
0.60
0.97
0.67
Clinical manifestations
Constitutional symptoms
99 (89.19)
39 (92.86)
234 (83.27)
0.38
0.59
0.17
Musculoskeletal
55 (49.55)
30 (71.43)
157 (55.87)
0.23
0.08
Cutaneous
58 (52.25)
16 (38.10)
85 (30.25)
0.22
<0.01
0.39
Ocular
7 (6.32)
10 (23.81)
76 (27.05)
<0.01
<0.01
0.78
ENT
92 (82.88)
27 (64.29)
221 (78.65)
0.07
0.86
0.61
Respiratory
107 (96.39)
30 (71.43)
215 (76.51)
<0.01
<0.01
0.60
Cardiovascular
47 (42.34)
3 (7.14)
32 (11.39)
<0.01
<0.01
0.57
Gastrointestinal
32 (28.82)
6 (14.29)
29 (10.32)
0.12
<0.01
0.61
Renal
30 (27.03)
34 (80.95)
181 (64.41)
<0.01
<0.01
0.05
Central nervous system
11 (9.91)
4 (9.52)
34 (12.10)
0.77
0.58
0.81
Neurological
53 (47.75)
9 (21.43)
60 (21.35)
<0.01
0.89
Flare-ups
2 (0–3)
1 (0–2)
1 (0–2)
<0.01
0.95
Flare-ups, number/time of observation, years
0.26 (0.00–0.35)
0.08 (0.00–0.25)
0.10 (0.00–0.31)
<0.01
0.53
Patients with flare-ups requiring hospital admission
27 (24.32)
22 (52.38)
148 (52.67)
<0.01
<0.01
0.93
Remission induction
Oral glucocorticosteroids
103 (92.79)
23 (54.76)
201 (71.53)
<0.01
<0.01
Glucocorticosteroid pulses
74 (66.67)
31 (73.81)
221 (78.65)
0.51
0.61
Cyclophosphamide
49 (44.14)
32 (76.19)
240 (85.41)
<0.01
<0.01
0.19
Azathioprine
14 (12.61)
1 (2.38)
13 (4.63)
0.11
<0.01
0.79
Methotrexate
21 (18.92)
1 (2.38)
26 (9.25)
0.23
Mycophenolate mofetil
5 (4.50)
0 (0.00)
7 (2.49)
0.38
0.47
0.64
Rituximab
0 (0.00)
11 (26.19)
50 (17.79)
<0.01
<0.01
0.28
Blood apharesis
0 (0.00)
5 (11.90)
31 (11.03)
<0.01
0.92
The cumulative time of glucocorticosteroid treatment, years
4.00 (2.00–7.50)
3.00 (2.00–8.00)
4.00 (2.00–8.00)
0.66
<0.01
0.75
The cumulative dose of intravenous glucocorticosteroids (g)
1.90 (0.00–8.00)
6.50 (2.00–16.50)
7.1 (3.60–14.40)
<0.01
<0.01
0.48
Maintenance therapy
Oral glucocorticosteroids
69 (62.16)
35 (83.33)
235 (83.63)
0.88
0.53
0.08
Azathioprine
34 (30.63)
15 (35.71)
123 (43.77)
0.66
0.99
0.51
Methotrexate
28 (25.23)
8 (19.05)
66 (23.49)
0.12
0.046
0.74
Mycophenolate mofetil
16 (14.41)
6 (14.29)
65 (23.13)
0.63
0.69
0.32
Cyclophosphamide
2 (1.80)
5 (11.90)
25 (8.90)
0.68
Laboratory parameters
ANCA-positive
45 (40.54)
41 (97.62)
246 (87.54)
<0.01
<0.01
MPO-ANCA positive
26 (23.42)
2 (4.76)
17 (6.05)
<0.01
0.99
PR3-ANCA positive
11 (9.91)
39 (92.86)
214 (76.16)
<0.01
<0.01
0.08
Blood eosinophilia (number/μl)
4,992 (2,500–8,253)
700 (465–1,294)
100 (50–170)
<0.01
<0.01
—
Max. CRP at diagnosis (mg/l)
23.9 (10.0–58.0)
83.0 (45.0–172.0)
49.0 (14.0–114.0)
<0.01
<0.01
<0.01
Categorical variables are presented as numbers (percentages), continuous variables as median, and 0.25–0.75 interquartile range. Statistically significant differences are highlighted with an asterisk. Abbreviations: ANCA, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; MPO-ANCA, anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies; PR3-ANCA, anti-proteinase three antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; EGPA, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; ENT, ear/nose/throat; GPA HE, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and increased eosinophil blood count; and GPA NE, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and a normal eosinophil blood count.
