Patient characteristics and associations between clinical factors and social disadvantages (Spearman rank correlation)
| Correlation (95% CI) with social disadvantages, p value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical factor | Mean±SD (range) (n=917) | Unemployment or unwilling transfer (213/680 cases) | Decrease in income (244/680 cases) | Reduced social positivity (449/917 cases) |
| Age, years | 57.1±15.4 (19–93) | −0.08 (−0.16 to −0.01), 0.02 | −0.07 (−0.14 to 0.01), 0.04 | 0.00 (−0.07 to 0.07), 0.49 |
| Female (%) | 65.2 (598/917) | 0.11 (0.00 to 0.18), 0.02 | 0.01 (−0.06 to 0.09), 0.39 | 0.17 (0.10 to 0.24), <0.0001 |
| Time since onset, years | 11.9±10.7 (0.1–83) | 0.08 (0.00 to 0.15), 0.02 | −0.01 (−0.08 to 0.07), 0.43 | 0.00 (−0.07 to 0.08), 0.45 |
| Age at onset, years | 45.4±18.1 (3–91) | −0.11 (−0.18 to−0.04), 0.0025 | −0.04 (−0.12 to 0.03), 0.12 | −0.03 (−0.10 to 0.04), 0.22 |
| Thymectomy, per cent | 52.4 (482/917) | 0.18 (0.10 to 0.25), <0.0001 | 0.21 (0.13 to 0.28), <0.0001 | 0.12 (0.05 to 0.19), 0.0003 |
| Thymoma, per cent | 25.0 (230/917) | 0.01 (−0.09 to 0.10), 0.46 | 0.05 (−0.05 to 0.15), 0.15 | 0.01 (−0.08 to 0.11), 0.38 |
| AChR-Ab positivity, per cent | 81.1 (744/917) | −0.08 (−0.16 to −0.01), 0.02 | −0.08 (−0.16 to −0.01), 0.01 | −0.05 (−0.12 to 0.02), 0.07 |
| MuSK-Ab positivity, per cent | 2.5 (23/917) | 0.12 (0.00 to 0.23), 0.03 | 0.07 (−0.05 to 0.18), 0.14 | 0.09 (−0.03 to 0.20), 0.07 |
| MGFA classification (worst) | I/II/III/IV/V 208/392/186/37/94 | 0.28 (0.21 to 0.35), <0.0001 | 0.31 (0.24 to 0.38), <0.0001 | 0.22 (0.15 to 0.28), <0.0001 |
| Bulbar symptoms, per cent (worst) | 49.4 (453/917) | 0.17 (0.10 to 0.25), <0.0001 | 0.18 (0.10 to 0.25), <0.0001 | 0.13 (0.06 to 0.20), 0.0002 |
| Worst QMG (n=792) | 13.5±7.5 (1–39) | 0.26 (0.18 to 0.33), <0.0001 | 0.32 (0.24 to 0.39), <0.0001 | 0.25 (0.17 to 0.32), <0.0001 |
| Current QMG | 6.6±4.9 (0–29) | 0.20 (0.13 to 0.27), <0.0001 | 0.20 (0.12 to 0.27), <0.0001 | 0.27 (0.20 to 0.34), <0.0001 |
| Current MGC | 4.3±5.2 (0–32) | 0.21 (0.14 to 0.28), <0.0001 | 0.21 (0.13 to 0.28), <0.0001 | 0.28 (0.22 to 0.35), <0.0001 |
| Current MG-QOL15-J | 13.8±13.2 (0–60) | 0.35 (0.28 to 0.41), <0.0001 | 0.34 (0.27 to 0.40), <0.0001 | 0.48 (0.43 to 0.54), <0.0001 |
| Peak dose of PSL, mg/day | 22.0±19.6 (0–80) | 0.16 (0.88 to 0.24), <0.0001 | 0.22 (0.15 to 0.30), <0.0001 | 0.08 (0.01 to 0.15), 0.0143 |
| Duration of PSL≥20 mg/day, years | 0.72±1.7 (0–19.6) | 0.19 (0.11 to 0.27), <0.0001 | 0.22 (0.14 to 0.30), <0.0001 | 0.15 (0.07 to 0.22), <0.0001 |
| Current dose of PSL, mg/day | 4.4±5.0 (0–40.0) | 0.11 (0.03 to 0.19), 0.003 | 0.12 (0.05 to 0.20), 0.0011 | 0.11 (0.04 to 0.18), 0.002 |
| MM or better with 5 mg at 1 year into treatment, per cent | 34.0 (299/880) | −0.17 (−0.24 to −0.09), <0.0001 | −0.17 (−0.25 to −0.09), <0.0001 | −0.19 (−0.26 to −0.11), <0.0001 |
| MM or better with 5 mg at 2 years into treatment, per cent | 40.5 (298/735) | −0.15 (−0.24 to −0.07), 0.0002 | −0.12 (−0.21 to−0.04), 0.003 | −0.17 (−0.25 to −0.09), <0.0001 |
| MM or better with 5 mg at 4 years into treatment, per cent | 46.1 (236/512) | −0.20 (−0.29 to −0.11), <0.0001 | −0.17 (−0.26 to −0.08), <0.0001 | −0.23 (−0.31 to −0.15), <0.0001 |
| MM or better with 5 mg at present, per cent | 48.9 (448/917) | −0.17 (−0.24 to −0.10), <0.0001 | −0.15 (−0.23 to −0.08), <0.0001 | −0.22 (−0.30 to −0.16), <0.0001 |
Significant correlations are indicated by bold font.
AChR-Ab, antiacetylcholine receptor antibody; MG, myasthenia gravis; MGC, myasthenia gravis composite; MGFA, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America; MG-QOL15, 15-item MG-specific quality of life scale; MG-QOL15-J, Japanese version of the MG-QOL15; MM, minimal manifestations; MuSK-Ab, muscle-specific kinase antibody; PSL, prednisolone; QMG, MGFA quantitative MG score.