Autoantibodies Affect Brain Density Reduction in Nonneuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Figure 2

GMD/WMD and the relationships with different treatments in SLE patients. The patients receiving treatment with immunosuppressive agents had a greater WMD than the patients who were never treated with immunosuppressive agents. There was no significant difference in the GMD between the two groups (a). The CTX-, HCQ-, or CTX+HCQ- treated patients had significantly higher WMDs compared with the NI group. Pairwise-group comparisons showed that the NI patients had the lowest WMD (b). GMD: mean whole brain grey matter density; WMD: mean whole brain white matter density; CTX: cyclophosphamide; HCQ: hydroxychloroquine; NI: nonimmunosuppressive agents treated. , .

(a)

(b)