Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients who were treated with TNF antagonists.
| Characteristic | LTBI (n = 255) | No LTBI (n = 447) | Total (n = 702) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, median (range) | 50 (21–78) | 39 (20–84) | 44 (20–84) | <0.001 |
| Sex (male), n (%) | 134 (52.5) | 222 (49.7) | 356 (50.7) | 0.462 |
| BMI, mean ± SD, kg/m2 | 22.83 ± 3.41 | 21.76 ± 3.93 | 22.19 ± 3.76 | <0.001 |
| Chest x-ray finding suggestive healed TB, n (%) | 9 (3.5) | 2 (0.4) | 11 (1.6) | 0.003* |
| Main diagnosis, n(%) | ||||
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 119 (46.7) | 140 (31.3) | 259 (36.9) | <0.001 |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 81 (31.8) | 93 (20.8) | 174 (24.8) | 0.001 |
| Crohn’s disease | 16 (6.3) | 125 (28.0) | 141 (20.1) | <0.001 |
| Ulcerative colitis | 24 (9.4) | 56 (12.5) | 80 (11.4) | 0.211 |
| Others | 15 (5.9) | 33 (7.4) | 48 (6.8) | 0.449 |
| Comorbidity, n (%) | ||||
| HTN | 30 (11.8) | 46 (10.3) | 76 (10.8) | 0.546 |
| DM | 19 (7.5) | 19 (4.3) | 38 (5.4) | 0.072 |
| Chronic lung disease† | 3 (1.2) | 10 (2.2) | 13 (1.9) | 0.394* |
| Chronic kidney disease | 6 (2.4) | 6 (1.3) | 12 (1.7) | 0.369* |
| Chronic liver disease | 3 (1.2) | 5 (1.1) | 8 (1.1) | 1.000* |
| Malignancy | 10 (3.9) | 10 (2.2) | 20 (2.8) | 0.197 |
| TNF antagonist, n (%) | ||||
| Infliximab | 47 (18.4) | 161 (36.0) | 208 (29.6) | <0.001 |
| Adalimumab | 57 (22.4) | 139 (31.1) | 196 (27.9) | 0.013 |
| Golimumab | 20 (7.8) | 31 (6.9) | 51 (7.3) | 0.656 |
| Etanercept | 48 (18.8) | 34 (7.6) | 82 (11.7) | <0.001 |
| Two or more TNF antagonists | 83 (32.5) | 82 (18.3) | 165 (23.5) | <0.001 |
| Immunosuppressive drugs, n (%) | ||||
| Steroid | 146 (57.3) | 201 (45.0) | 347 (49.4) | 0.002 |
| Antimetabolite‡ | 149 (58.4) | 292 (65.3) | 441 (62.8) | 0.069 |
| Calcineurin inhibitor§ | 13 (5.1) | 7 (1.6) | 20 (2.8) | 0.007 |
| Combination | 172 (67.5) | 309 (69.1) | 481 (68.5) | 0.646 |
| Other DMARDs¶ | 136 (53.3) | 274 (61.3) | 410 (58.4) | 0.039 |
| None | 5 (2.0) | 19 (4.3) | 24 (3.4) | 0.108 |
| Duration of TNF antagonist use, median (range), months | 18.6 (0.5–114.8) | 12.7 (0.5–108.7) | 15.5 (0.5–114.8) | 0.002 |
| Duration of follow up, median (range), months | 32.6 (1.1–131.3) | 31.8 (0.5–126.7) | 32.1 (0.5–131.3) | 0.007 |
| Results of LTBI test | ||||
| TST induration (mm; median, IQR) | 12 (8.75–15) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–11) | <0.001 |
| IFN- γ concentration (IU/mL;median, IQR) | 0.74 (0.08–2.97) | 0.01 (0–0.04) | 0.02 (0–0.29) | <0.001 |
Data are presented as numbers (percentages) unless otherwise indicated. *Compared using Fisher’s exact test. †Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease. ‡Methotrexate, Azathioprine. §Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus. ¶5-Amino salicylic acid derivative, Leflunomide. LTBI, latent tuberculosis infection; BMI, body mass index; TB, tuberculosis; HTN, hypertension; DM, diabetes mellitus; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.