Clinical Characteristics of EGPA Patients in Comparison to GPA Subgroup with Increased Blood Eosinophilia from POLVAS Registry
Table 1
Demographic and clinical characteristics of EGPA patients divided according to ANCA status.
Variable
ANCA+ (n = 45)
ANCA– (n = 66)
p-Value
Demographic characteristics
Age at diagnosis, years
51.1 (40.2–59.0)
41.08 (33.1–51.8)
<0.01
Time of observation, years
5.1 (4.0–6.2)
7.6 (3.3–4.6)
Female gender, number (%)
29 (64.44)
48 (72.72)
0.38
Smoking in the past, number (%)
4 (8.89)
8 (12.12)
0.38
Clinical manifestations
Constitutional symptoms
40 (88.89)
59 (89.39)
0.80
Musculoskeletal
26 (57.78)
29 (43.94)
0.17
Cutaneous
23 (51.11)
36 (54.55)
0.73
Ocular
4 (8.89)
3 (4.55)
0.59
ENT
38 (84.44)
54 (81.82)
0.85
Respiratory
43 (95.56)
64 (96.97)
0.36
Cardiovascular
16 (35.56)
31 (46.97)
0.21
Gastrointestinal
11 (24.44)
21 (31.82)
0.38
Renal
15 (33.33)
15 (22.73)
0.21
Central nervous system
4 (8.89)
7 (10.61)
0.998
Neurological
24 (53.33)
29 (43.94)
0.37
Flare-ups, number
1 (0–2)
2 (1–3)
<0.01
Flare-ups, number/time of observation, years
0.18 (0.00–0.33)
0.26 (0.14–0.35)
0.20
Patients with flare-ups requiring hospital admission, number
10 (22.22)
17 (25.76)
0.56
Remission induction therapy
Oral glucocorticosteroids
42 (93.33)
61 (92.42)
0.07
Glucocorticosteroid pulses
27 (60.00)
47 (71.21)
0.13
Cyclophosphamide
18 (40.00)
31 (46.97)
0.37
Azathioprine
3 (6.67)
11 (16.67)
0.18
Methotrexate
11 (24.44)
10 (15.15)
0.26
Mycophenolate mofetil
1 (2.22)
4 (6.06)
0.60
The cumulative time of glucocorticosteroid treatment, years
3.50 (2.00–7.50)
5.00 (3.00–7.50)
0.20
The cumulative dose of intravenous glucocorticosteroids (g)
1.45 (0.00–6.70)
2.60 (0.00–8.00)
0.78
Maintenance therapy
Oral glucocorticosteroids
32 (71.11)
37 (56.06)
0.25
Azathioprine
16 (35.56)
18 (27.27)
0.80
Methotrexate
14 (31.11)
14 (21.21)
0.87
Mycophenolate mofetil
5 (11.11)
11 (16.67)
0.12
Laboratory parameters
Blood eosinophilia (/μl)&
4,100 (2,000–7,676)
5,608 (3,000–9,454)
0.21
Max. CRP at diagnosis (mg/l)
33.0 (11.0–60.0)
21.0 (10.0–50.0)
0.54
Glucocorticosteroid doses were adjusted to methylprednisolone. Categorical variables are presented as numbers (percentages), continuous variables as median, and 0.25–0.75 interquartile range. &Data available in 38 (80, 85%) ANCA-positive and 54 (78, 26%) ANCA-negative patients. 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.
