Table 3. Subgroup analysis for new-onset liver cirrhosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic hepatitis B.
| Variables | MTX users | MTX non-users | Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incidence rate of liver cirrhosis (per 1,000 person-years) | Incidence rate of liver cirrhosis (per 1,000 person-years) | ||
| All patients | 9.1 | 10.5 | 0.92 (0.48–1.77) |
| Age at the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B (years) | |||
| 18–44 | 1.5 | 0.0 | NA |
| 45–64 | 5.8 | 13.7 | 0.48 (0.19–1.25) |
| ≧65 | 35.0 | 20.6 | 1.41 (0.50–4.01) |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 5.7 | 6.4 | 1.16 (0.46–2.93) |
| Male | 23.0 | 25.2 | 0.74 (0.29–1.86) |
| Comorbidity | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 8.1 | 26.0 | 0.16 (0.03–0.92) |
| Dyslipidemia | 2.5 | 14.8 | 0.17 (0.02–1.76) |
| Hypertension | 12.9 | 18.0 | 0.77 (0.28–2.10) |
| Concomitant medications | |||
| Sulfasalazine | 11.5 | 4.8 | 3.25 (0.86–12.27) |
| Corticosteroids | 3.9 | 24.9 | 1.41 (0.58–3.43) |
CI: confidence interval; MTX: methotrexate; NA: not available.
*adjusted for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension and medications such as sulfasalazine and corticosteroids.