An institutional review board is auditing the results of a prospective cohort study investigating a novel biomarker for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) progression. The study initially enrolled asymptomatic patients with positive antinuclear antibodies. The protocol followed the cohort over a strict -year period to observe the development of overt clinical SLE.
The longitudinal data logs reveal the following timeline:
- At the end of Year 1, patients developed overt clinical SLE.
- At the end of Year 2, patients relocated and were lost to follow-up (confirmed disease-free at the time of relocation).
- At the end of Year 3, another patients developed overt clinical SLE.
- At the end of Year 4, patients withdrew from the study (confirmed disease-free at the time of withdrawal).
- The remaining patients completed the full -year follow-up without developing the disease.
Based on this data, what is the incidence rate of overt clinical SLE in this cohort, expressed per person-years?
- Aper person-years
- per person-yearsCevap
- Cper person-years
- Dper person-years
- Eper person-years