Table 1. Comparison between survivors vs. non-survivors in PCP patients.
| Overall (n = 95) | Survivor (n = 53) | Non-Survivor (n = 42) | P values | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline characteristics | ||||
| Age, year (IQR) | 69 (61–78) | 64 (59.5–75) | 74 (64–79) | .008 |
| Male: female (female rate) | 38: 57 (60.0) | 22: 31 (58.4) | 16: 26 (61.9) | .736 |
| Diagnosis, RA: non-RA | 45: 50 | 31: 22 | 14: 28 | .015 |
| Lung involvement n (%) | 27 (28.4) | 7 (13.2) | 20 (47.6) | < .001 |
| Treatment for autoimmune diseases at diagnosis of PCP | ||||
| Glucocorticoids-use n (%) | 87 (91.5) | 46 (86.7) | 41 (97.6) | .073 |
| Dose≠ mg/day (IQR) | 15 (8–25) | 12.5 (5.75–20) | 20 (10–30) | .006 |
| High-dose use≠ n (%) | 9 (9.5) | 1 (1.8) | 8 (19.0) | .009 |
| IS-use n (%) | 60 (63.1) | 34 (64.1) | 26 (61.9) | .822 |
| Cyclophosphamide n (%) | 13 (13.7) | 4 (7.5) | 9 (21.4) | .051 |
| Cyclosporine A n (%) | 4 (4.2) | 2 (3.8) | 2 (4.6) | >.999 |
| Tacrolimus n (%) | 9 (9.5) | 6 (11.3) | 3 (7.1) | .727 |
| Methotrexate n (%) | 45 (47.4) | 32 (60.4) | 13 (30.9) | .004 |
| Biologics-use n (%) | 16 (16.8) | 12 (22.6) | 4 (9.5) | .090 |
| Prophylaxis for PCP n (%) | 5 (5.2) | 2 (3.7) | 3 (7.1) | .652 |
| Blood examination at diagnosis of PCP | ||||
| Lymphocyte count /μl (IQR) | 744.0 (318.0–1027.0) | 874.2 (540.5–1265.5) | 499.75 (244.0–795.4) | .002 |
| β-D-Glucan pg/ml (IQR) | 81.4 (36.4–263.0) | 67.6 (25.1–263.6) | 114.6 (51.4–250.2) | .111 |
| LDH U/l (IQR) | 388 (297–539) | 333 (261–434) | 489 (385.5–626.25) | < .001 |
| KL-6 U/ml (IQR) | 744.5 (439.5–1107.5) | 651 (346.5–932) | 875 (669–1590) | .002 |
| CRP mg/l (IQR) | 7.2 (2.8–11.4) | 5.3 (2.0–9.5) | 9.7 (3.4–18.1) | .016 |
| Treatment for PCP | ||||
| TMP/SMX n (%) | 92 (96.8) | 50 (94.3) | 42 (100) | .252 |
| Atovaquone n (%) | 16 (16.8) | 12 (22.6) | 4 (9.5) | .090 |
| Pentamidine n (%) | 26 (27.3) | 10 (18.8) | 16 (38.0) | .037 |
| Initial dose of glucocorticoids≠ mg/day (IQR) | 40 (21.25–50) | 40 (20–40) | 42.5 (40–60) | .002 |
IQR: interquartile range; PCP: Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; pred.: prednisolone; IS: immunosuppressants; CRP: C-reactive Protein; TMP/SMX: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
≠Dose was converted to equivalent prednisolone dose. High-dose was defined as = <40mg/day.
The distributions of age, glucocorticoids dose, β-D-Glucan, KL-6, LDH and CRP were shown as median values with interquartile ranges.