Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients in the low-dose and standard-dose groups

Age (years), median (IQR)

67 (59–76)

67 (60–76)

Male sex, n (%)

25 (69.4)

27 (60.0)

Weight (kg), median (IQR)

57.4 (50.0–64.8)

56.1 (50.0–63.9)

Underlying disease, n (%)

 Hematological malignancy, n (%)

18 (50.0)

5 (11.1)

 Leukemia, n (%)

5 (13.9)

0 (0.0)

 Lymphoma, n (%)

6 (16.7)

3 (6.7)

 Multiple myeloma, n (%)

7 (19.4)

2 (4.4)

 Autoimmune disease, n (%)

12 (33.3)

33 (73.3)

 Connective tissue disease, n (%)

6 (16.7)

4 (8.9)

 Polyangiitis, n (%)

3 (8.3)

14 (31.1)

 Nephritis, n (%)

2 (5.6)

15 (33.3)

 ITP, n (%)

1 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

 Others ^a, n (%)

6 (16.7)

7 (15.6)

Treatment for each underlying disease

  Chemotherapy, n (%)

6 (16.7)

2 (4.4)

  Chemotherapy with corticosteroid, n (%)

11 (30.5)

3 (6.7)

  Immunosuppressive agent, n (%)

1 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

  Corticosteroid, n (%)

11 (30.6)

33 (73.3)

  Immune suppressive drug, n (%)

1 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

  Corticosteroid, n (%)

5 (13.9)

7 (15.6)

  Chemotherapy, n (%)

1 (2.8)

0 (0.0)

Dose of corticosteroid (mg)^b, median (IQR)

25.0 (16.6–40.0)

35 (25.0–44.5)

 Dose of corticosteroid in patients with Hematological malignancy

23.8 (18.6–38.0)

24.0 (23.9–31.0)

 Dose of corticosteroid in patients with autoimmune disease

25.0 (20.0–45.0)

35.0 (25.0–45.0)

 Dose of corticosteroid in patients with other disease

40.0 (13.0–50.0)

30.0 (20.0–47.0)

Total bilirubin (mg/dL), median (IQR)

0.4 (0.3–0.5)

0.4 (0.3–0.6)

ALT (IU/L), median (IQR)

16.5 (8.0–42.5)

13.0 (9.0–26.0)

AST (IU/L), median (IQR)

14.8 (7.0–35.3)

14.8 (13.0–24.0)

White blood cell (× 10³/μL), median (IQR)

7.5 (5.2–11.8)

8.5 (6.7–11.2)

Hemoglobin (g/dL), median (IQR)

9.65 (8.8–11.3)

9.9 (9.0–11.6)

Platelet (× 10⁴/μL), median (IQR)

15.7 (11.8–25.4)

18.7 (14.8–25.6)