Independent associations of lymphopenia and neutropenia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a longitudinal, multinational study.

OBJECTIVE The prevalence and associations of leucopenia in SLE remain incompletely understood. We evaluated associations of disease activity and medication use with leucopenia (lymphopenia and neutropenia) in a multinational, prospectively followed SLE cohort. METHODS Data from the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration cohort, in which disease activity and medications were prospectively captured from 2013-18, were used. Predictors of lymphopenia (lymphocyte count < 0.8 x 109/l) and neutropenia (neutrophil count < 1.5 x 109/l) were examined using multiple failure, time-dependent survival analyses. RESULTS Data from 2,330 patients and 18 287 visits were analysed. One thousand three hundred twelve patients (43.7%) had at least one episode of leucopenia. 867 patients (37.2%) had lymphopenia, observed in 3,065 (16.8%) visits, and 292 (12.5%) patients had neutropenia, in 622 (3.4%) visits. After multivariable analyses, lymphopenia was associated with overall disease activity, ESR, serology, prednisolone, azathioprine, methotrexate, tacrolimus, cyclophosphamide and rituximab use. Methotrexate and ciclosporin were negatively associated with neutropenia. Lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) was negatively associated with both lymphopenia and neutropenia. CONCLUSION Both lymphopenia and neutropenia were common in SLE patients but were differentially associated with disease and treatment variables. Lymphopenia and neutropenia should be considered independently in studies in SLE.