Table. 1 Baseline characteristics of POEMS syndrome patients

From: What is the best first-line treatment for POEMS syndrome: autologous transplantation, melphalan and dexamethasone, or lenalidomide and dexamethasone?

Baseline charaterisitics

All patients(N = 347)

MDex(N = 79)

ASCT(N = 165)

LDex(N = 103)

p-value

Age > 50 years

40.3

48.1

32.7

46.6

0.022

Male

65.7

67.1

68.5

60.2

0.364

Polyneuropathy ONLS > 4

38.9

46.8

38.8

33.0

0.166

Organomegaly

Hepatomegaly

38.3

43.0

40.6

31.1

0.238

Splenomegaly

59.1

57.0

67.9

47.6

0.008

Lymphadenopathy

64.0

69.6

60.6

65.0

0.376

IgA type heavy chain

61.1

69.6

54.5

65.0

0.048

SPE > 5 g/l

10.7

8.9

11.5

10.7

0.821

BMPC > 10%

3.7

1.3

4.8

3.9

0.441

Angioma

59.4

55.7

52.1

68.9

0.062

Peripheral edema

84.1

91.1

74.5

94.2

0.000

Ascites

43.2

55.7

32.7

50.5

0.001

Pleural effusion

37.8

50.6

29.1

41.7

0.003

Castleman diseasea

61.5(N = 52)

41.7(N = 12)

65.5(N = 29)

2.7(N = 11)

0.249

Papilledema

66.0

72.2

66.1

60.2

0.330

Osteosclerosis

81.6

68.4

86.1

81.6

0.056

Hypoalbuminemia (< 30 g/l)

13.0

19.0

10.3

12.6

0.167

Renal dysfunction (eGFR < 30 ml/min/ 1.73 m2)

4.6

5.1

3.6

5.8

0.691

24 h urinary protein > 1 g

5.8

5.1

4.2

7.8

0.482

VEGF > 4000 pg/ml

57.6

41.8

58.8

67.0

0.004

Risk stratification 

Low risk

34.0

22.8

44.2

26.2

0.001

Medium risk

43.2

43.0

43.0

42.7

0.994

High risk

22.8

34.2

12.7

30.1

0.000

  1. The numbers were all presented as percentage
  2. ASCT autologous stem cell transplantation, Alb albumin, eGFR estimated glomerular filtration rate, IgG immunoglobulin G, ONLS Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale, SPE serum protein electrophoresis, VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor
  3. aCastleman’s disease was diagnosed in 32 of 52 patients (61.5%) who underwent tissue biopsies
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