Table 1.
Comparison of demographic characteristics of RA-PCP at diagnosis.
| Characteristics | All patients N = 24 |
Biologics group N = 12 |
Nonbiologics group N = 12 |
Pvalue∗ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SEM) | 69.5 (1.5) | 66.4 (2.2) | 72.5 (1.7) | 0.045 |
| Female, n (%) | 20/24 (83.3) | 10/12 (83.3) | 10/12 (83.3) | 1.00 |
| Smoking, n (%) | 9/24 (56.3) | 4/12 (33.3) | 5/12 (41.7) | 1.00 |
| Disease duration, days, mean (SEM) | 9.4 (2.2) | 7.7 (1.0) | 11.1 (4.2) | 0.44 |
| Comorbidity, n (%) | ||||
| Renal dysfunction‡ | 13/24 (54.2) | 6/12 (50.0) | 7/12 (58.3) | 1.00 |
| Lung disease‡‡ | 10/24 (41.7) | 4/12 (33.3) | 6/12 (50.0) | 0.68 |
| Heart failure | 3/24 (12.5) | 1/12 (8.3) | 2/12 (16.7) | 1.00 |
| Liver dysfunction‡‡‡ | 10/24 (41.7) | 4/12 (33.3) | 6/12 (50.0) | 0.68 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 7/24 (29.2) | 3/12 (25.0) | 4/12 (33.3) | 0.67 |
| Concomitant treatment, n (%) | ||||
| Glucocorticoid | 17/24 (70.8) | 7/12 (58.3) | 10/12 (83.3) | 0.37 |
| Dose of glucocorticoid (mg/day), mean (SEM) | 7.7 (1.7) | 5.7 (1.1) | 9.1 (2.7) | 0.60 |
| Methotrexate | 23/24 (95.8) | 11/12 (91.7) | 12/12 (100.0) | 1.00 |
| Dose of methotrexate (mg/week), mean (SEM) | 9.2 (0.6) | 8.9 (0.6) | 9.5 (0.9) | 0.93 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||
| PaO2/FiO2 ratio, mean (SEM) | 287 (20) | 293 (33) | 281 (25) | 0.53 |
| White blood cells (/μL), mean (SEM) | 6288 (700) | 5358 (732) | 7217 (1165) | 0.51 |
| Lymphocytes (/μL), mean (SEM) | 1007 (201) | 1429 (357) | 585 (96) | 0.033 |
| Albumin, g/dL, mean (SEM) | 3.0 (0.1) | 3.3 (0.2) | 2.7 (0.2) | 0.06 |
| CRP, mg/dL, mean (SEM) | 7.9 (1.2) | 5.2 (1.7) | 10.6 (1.5) | 0.039 |
| IgG, mg/dL, mean (SEM) | 1023 (91) | 1127 (124) | 896 (128) | 0.26 |
| LDH, U/L, mean (SEM) | 343 (24) | 298 (24) | 389 (38) | 0.11 |
| KL-6, U/mL, mean (SEM) | 793 (117) | 632 (100) | 1008 (226) | 0.22 |
| β-D glucan, pg/mL, mean (SEM) | 166 (32) | 100 (30) | 231 (52) | 0.039 |
| Death, n (%) | 3/24 (12.5) | 1/12 (8.3) | 2/12 (16.7) | 1.00 |
∗Comparison between biologics and nonbiologics group. ‡Renal dysfunction: estimated glomerular filtration rate under 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. ‡‡Lung disease: interstitial lung disease, bronchiolitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ‡‡‡Liver dysfunction: alanine aminotransferase over 37 IU/L. Biologic agents: infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab, and abatacept. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; PCP, pneumocystis pneumonia; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; CRP, C-reactive protein; KL-6, Krebs von den Lungen-6.