Determinants of quality of life changes with plasmapheresis in patients with myasthenia gravis

Table 1 Comparison between control group and TPE group regarding demographics, clinical, and laboratory criteria

		Control group	TPE group	Test value	P value	Sig
		No. =17	No. =81	Test value	P value	Sig
Sex	Females	10 (58.8%)	58 (71.6%)	1.081^b	0.299	NS
Sex	Males	7 (41.2%)	23 (28.4%)	1.081^b	0.299	NS
Age	Mean ± SD	35.29 ± 11.65	35.69± 12.46	−0.121	0.904	NS
Age	Range	18-60	18-60	−0.121	0.904	NS
Duration by month	Mean ± SD	42.47 ± 18.19	36.59 ± 20.18	1.109^a	0.270	NS
Duration by month	Range	18-80	12-96	1.109^a	0.270	NS
AchR antibodies	Negative	3 (17.6%)	16 (19.8%)	0.040^b	0.842	NS
AchR antibodies	Positive	14 (82.4%)	65 (80.2%)	0.040^b	0.842	NS
AchR titer	Median (IQR)	8 (6.7-9.2)	13.2 (9.2-19)	3.091	0.002	HS
AchR titer	Range	4.3-16.3	4.6-80.6	3.091	0.002	HS
Thymectomy	Negative	7 (41.2%)	29 (35.8%)	0.175	0.676	NS
Thymectomy	Positive	10 (58.8%)	52 (64.2%)	0.175	0.676	NS
Thymus gland	Normal	5 (50.0%)	31 (59.6%)	2.451	0.294	NS
	Hyperplasia	5 (50.0%)	15 (28.8%)
	Thymoma	0 (0.0%)	6 (11.5%)
Other autoimmune	Negative	16 (94.1%)	73 (90.1%)	1.819	0.403	NS
	Thyrotoxicosis	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.4%)
	Systemic lupus	1 (5.9%)	2 (2.5%)

> 0.05 NS, non-significant; < 0.05 S, significant; < 0.01 HS highly significant, TPE therapeutic plasmapheresis, SD standard deviation, AchR acetylcholine receptor
^aIndependent t test
^bChi-square test