Introduction
Study subjects and methods
Participants
Study design and procedures
Statistical analysis
Results
Characteristics of study subjects
Variables | N-acetylcysteine | Control | P value | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age (year) | 36.1±0.1 | 37.0±5.5 | 0.899 | |
Gender; male/female | 15 (37.5%)/25 (62.5%) | 8 (20%)/32 (80%) | 0.370 | |
SLE disease duration (year) | 11.0±4.9 | 9.0±5.4 | 0.598 | |
Hemoglobin (mg/dl) | 12.1±0.8 | 12.2±1.6 | 0.428 | |
Hematocrit (mg/dl) | 35.7±3.0 | 36.0±0.4 | 0.435 | |
White blood cell count (cell/m3) | 5786±2159 | 6813±3658 | 0.369 | |
Platelet (cell/m3) | 248,065±91,202 | 314,600±81,624 | 0.024 | |
ESR (mm) | 35±20.9 | 33.2±25.1 | 0.871 | |
AST (IU/L) | 36.6±1.2 | 47.5±26.5 | 0.357 | |
ALT (IU/L) | 86.7±35.4 | 38.1±19.0 | 0.042 | |
Anti-dsDNA (IU/mL) | 71.47±11.92 | 63.32±12.76 | 0.342 | |
ANA titer (IU/mL) | 92.15±16.55 | 93.34±15.29 | 0.999 | |
C3 mg/dL | 45.70±6.94 | 43.8±721 | 0.999 | |
C4 mg/dL | 54.49±5.88 | 50.27±6.2 | 0.999 | |
CH50 % | 80.2±14.25 | 78±11.6 | 0.889 | |
Proteinuria ≥ 0.5 g/24-h urine | 21.48±2.45 | 19.65±4.12 | 0.671 | |
BILAG score | 6.65±1.73 | 6.52±1.52 | 0.672 | |
SLEDAI score | 2.65±0.70 | 2.71±0.72 | 0.435 | |
Drugs | Prednisolone | 36 | 34 | 0.599 |
Hydroxychloroquine | 26 | 34 | 0.283 | |
Azathioprine | 14 | 14 | 0.627 | |
Mycophenolate mofetil + prednisolone+ hydroxychloroquine | 8 | 8 | 0.655 | |
Prednisolone+ hydroxychloroquine | 33 | 30 | 0.895 | |
Prednisolone+ azathioprine | 14 | 10 | 0.999 | |
Prednisolone + azathioprine+ hydroxychloroquine | 8 | 6 | 0.999 |
Symptoms | N-acetylcysteine | Control | P value |
---|---|---|---|
General | 5.8±0.7 | 6.0±1.5 | 0.521 |
Mucocutaneous | 35.0±6.1 | 33.8±2.1 | 0.34 |
Neurological | 10±0.5 | 12.4±1.8 | 0.152 |
Musculoskeletal | 8.3±1.1 | 8.1±0.2 | 0.891 |
Cardiorespiratory | 3.1±0.9 | 3.2±0.1 | 0.627 |
Renal | 2.3±0.2 | 3.0±0.5 | 0.256 |
Vascular | 6.7±0.4 | 7.6±0.9 | 0.438 |
Hematological | 8.0±0.1 | 7.1±0.2 | 0.892 |
Effect of NAC therapy on SLE disease activity
Effect of NAC therapy on the disease activity in different organs
Symptoms | N-acetylcysteine | Control | Cohen’s d | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before treatment | After treatment | P value | Before treatment | After treatment | P value | ||
General | 5.8±0.7 | 1.8±0.1 | 0.018 | 6.0±1.5 | 5.68±1.51 | 0.57 | 3.62 |
Mucocutaneous | 35.0±6.1 | 2.61±0.1 | 0.003 | 33.8±2.1 | 31.9±1.8 | 0.67 | 22.97 |
Neurological | 10±0.5 | 1.9±0.1 | 0.015 | 12.4±1.8 | 10.4±1.0 | 0.127 | 11.96 |
Musculoskeletal | 8.3±1.1 | 3.3±1.0 | 0.048 | 8.1±0.2 | 8.0±1.9 | 0.366 | 3.09 |
Cardiorespiratory | 3.1±0.9 | 2.1±0.9 | 0.047 | 3.2±0.1 | 3.6±1.1 | 0.752 | 1.49 |
Renal | 2.3±0.2 | 0.3±0.01 | 0.025 | 3.0±0.5 | 2.9±1.3 | 0.343 | 2.82 |
Vascular | 6.7±0.4 | 2.6±1.1 | 0.048 | 7.6±0.9 | 6.6±0.4 | 0.625 | 4.83 |
Hematological | 8.0±0.1 | 5.9±2.8 | 0.677 | 7.1±0.2 | 7.1±0.2 | 0.237 | 0.61 |
Effects of NAC therapy on the SLE complications
Symptoms | N-acetylcysteine | Control | Cohen’s d | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before treatment | After treatment | P value | Before treatment | After treatment | P value | ||
Anti dsDNA (IU/mL) | 71.45±3.55 | 68.25±3.48 | 0.72 | 63.35±4.89 | 61.52±5.20 | 0.78 | 1.52 |
ANA titer (IU/mL) | 92.14±12.48 | 91.41±11.39 | 0.99 | 93.14±6.88 | 91.34±7.14 | 0.96 | 0.007 |
C3 (mg/dL) | 45.25±5.66 | 59.08±6.21 | 0.67 | 43.55±7.21 | 43.36±8.11 | 0.66 | 2.17 |
C4 (mg/dL) | 54.32±4.99 | 59.11±5.07 | 0.88 | 50.45±6.23 | 48.65±6.41 | 0.54 | 1.81 |
CH50 (%) | 80.65±10.50 | 94.51±11.21 | 0.04 | 78.39±7.98 | 82.45±9.2 | 0.9 | 1.17 |
Proteinuria ≥0.5 g/24-h urine | 21.46±5.22 | 19.66±4.89 | 0.99 | 19.78±3.14 | 18.71±15.6 | 0.99 | 0.08 |