Table 2 Relationship between patient characteristics and level of symptom distress before intervention associated with pulse therapy (N = 63)

Age (years)

   ≤30

2.24 ± 0.85

1.84 ± 0.65

2.35 ± 1.23

2.11 ± 0.84

1.93 ± 1.03

1.37 ± 0.49

2.65 ± 1.27

1.74 ± 0.80

1.44 ± 0.53

1.94 ± 0.60

   31-40

1.95 ± 0.76

1.86 ± 0.74

2.38 ± 1.30

2.05 ± 1.08

1.89 ± 0.83

1.48 ± 0.97

2.06 ± 1.12

1.52 ± 0.76

1.47 ± 0.75

1.84 ± 0.71

   > 40

2.10 ± 0.76

0.518

1.77 ± 0.66

0.912

2.34 ± 1.21

0.996

1.97 ± 0.83

0.878

2.17 ± 0.85

0.591

2.52 ± 1.14

< 0.001*

2.10 ± 1.04

0.172

1.71 ± 0.63

0.609

1.24 ± 0.51

0.418

1.97 ± 0.55

0.790

Gender

   Male

2.13 ± 0.61

2.10 ± 0.63

3.00 ± 1.37

2.39 ± 0.89

2.41 ± 0.91

2.29 ± 1.59

2.27 ± 1.30

1.87 ± 0.73

1.09 ± 0.18

2.15 ± 0.64

   Female

2.11 ± 0.84

0.953

1.74 ± 0.66

0.076

2.17 ± 1.17

0.023*

1.95 ± 0.88

0.109

1.88 ± 0.89

0.053

1.62 ± 0.72

0.027*

2.33 ± 1.15

0.878

1.61 ± 0.73

0.248

1.47 ± 0.64

0.031*

1.86 ± 0.59

0.122

Education level

   Below college

2.14 ± 0.86

1.83 ± 0.67

2.34 ± 1.26

1.97 ± 0.81

1.96 ± 0.93

1.79 ± 0.91

2.39 ± 1.28

1.76 ± 0.78

1.38 ± 0.49

1.93 ± 0.63

   College and above

2.09 ± 0.73

0.792

1.81 ± 0.67

0.914

2.37 ± 1.21

0.923

2.13 ± 0.98

0.481

2.04 ± 0.92

0.725

1.74 ± 01.11

0.820

2.24 ± 1.08

0.620

1.57 ± 0.68

0.313

1.39 ± 0.68

0.902

1.92 ± 0.59

0.927

Body weight change (kg)

   < 2

1.98 ± 0.73

1.71 ± 0.65

2.11 ± 1.09

1.89 ± 0.79

1.88 ± 0.85

1.62 ± 0.85

2.24 ± 1.17

1.64 ± 0.74

1.39 ± 0.61

1.82 ± 0.57

   ≥2

2.60 ± 0.86

0.008*

2.21 ± 0.59

0.011*

3.19 ± 1.32

0.003*

2.61 ± 1.02

0.006*

2.41 ± 1.05

0.053

2.26 ± 1.36

0.037*

2.26 ± 1.21

0.386

1.77 ± 0.73

0.562

1.36 ± 0.52

0.848

2.30 ± 0.61

0.007*

Drug dosage (mg)

   ≤500

2.09 ± 0.86

1.85 ± 0.66

2.18 ± 1.09

2.04 ± 1.01

1.84 ± 0.89

1.48 ± 0.60

2.55 ± 1.25

1.64 ± 0.74

1.39 ± 0.57

1.88 ± 0.62

   > 501

2.14 ± 0.75

0.835

1.81 ± 0.68

0.813

2.48 ± 1.32

0.344

2.05 ± 0.82

0.940

2.11 ± 0.93

0.255

1.96 ± 1.18

0.063

2.15 ± 1.11

0.192

1.69 ± 0.74

0.779

1.38 ± 0.61

0.928

1.96 ± 0.61

0.627

Frequency of treatment

   1

1.97 ± 0.75

1.72 ± 0.61

2.43 ± 1.33

1.89 ± 1.01

2.10 ± 0.97

1.58 ± 0.92

2.08 ± 1.56

1.56 ± 0.66

1.28 ± 0.48

1.83 ± 0.59

   ≥2

2.24 ± 0.82

0.182

1.91 ± 0.71

0.251

2.29 ± 1.14

0.660

2.18 ± 0.77

0.197

1.91 ± 0.88

0.431

1.92 ± 1.07

0.178

2.51 ± 1.17

0.151

1.76 ± 0.79

0.271

1.48 ± 0.67

0.181

2.01 ± 0.62

0.246

Diagnosis

   SLE group

1.95 ± 0.74

1.75 ± 0.60

2.87 ± 1.49

2.12 ± 0.99

2.08 ± 0.93

1.66 ± 1.86

2.04 ± 1.28

1.59 ± 0.697

1.16 ± 0.30

1.89 ± 0.60

   Non-SLE group

2.19 ± 0.81

0.256

1.86 ± 0.70

0.561

2.11 ± 1.01

0.021*

2.01 ± 0.85

0.665

1.96 ± 0.92

0.628

1.81 ± 0.98

0.576

2.44 ± 1.12

0.210

1.71 ± 0.756

0.561

1.49 ± 0.66

0.039*

1.94 ± 0.62

0.790

Hospital stay (days)

   ≤5

1.82 ± 0.61

1.56 ± 0.55

1.93 ± 1.15

1.67 ± 0.49

1.53 ± 0.57

1.46 ± 0.69

1.98 ± 1.06

1.65 ± 00.70

1.24 ± 00.42

1.63 ± 0.42

   6-10

2.21 ± 0.81

1.93 ± 0.59

2.60 ± 1.24

2.17 ± 1.06

2.22 ± 0.91

1.97 ± 1.16

2.44 ± 1.03

1.62 ± 00.73

1.44 ± 0.69

2.04 ± 0.598

   ≥11

2.30 ± 0.87

0.119

1.96 ± 0.77

0.101

2.50 ± 1.23

0.170

2.27 ± 0.94

0.066

2.21 ± 1.05

0.020*

1.85 ± 1.07

0.245

2.49 ± 1.37

0.308

1.73 ± 00.79

0.880

1.46 ± 0.63

0.422

2.07 ± 0.68

0.034*