Table 3.

Baseline characteristics related to treatment effectiveness (“responders” vs. “non-responders” group)

Baseline characteristics	All patients (n=60)	MTX responders (n = 49)	MTX non-responders (n = 11)	P value
Age at start of therapy (years)	53.3±10.5	54.2±10.8	49.4±8.4	0.168
Male, n (%)	20 (33.3)	16 (32.7)	4 (36.4)	0.813
BMI (kg/m2)	24.9±3.7	25.3±3.8	23.4±3.0	0.131
Reason for MTX treatment, n (%)				0.133
Refractory to GCS	38 (63.3)	28 (57.1)	10 (90.9)
Recurrence	15 (25.0)	14 (28.6)	1 (9.1)
Others*	7 (11.7)	7 (14.3)	0
Duration of treatment (weeks)	53.1±33.5	55.4±34.4	42.9±28.8	0.267
Smoking status, n (%)				1.000
Former smoker	2 (3.3)	2 (4.1)	0
Never smoker	56 (93.3)	45 (91.8)	11 (100)
Active smoker	2 (3.3)	2 (4.1)	0
Disease duration, (years)	1.9±2.2	2.1±2.4	1.8±1.7	0.677
Chest radiographic staging, n (%)				0.126
I	4 (6.7)	3 (6.1)	1 (9.1)
II	41 (68.3)	34 (69.4)	7 (63.6)
III	12 (20.0)	11 (22.4)	1 (9.1)
IV	3 (5.0)	1 (2.1)	2 (18.2)
Pleura involvement, n (%)	5 (8.4)	3 (6.1)	2 (18.2)	0.224
Previous therapy, n (%)				0.478
Prednisone	51 (85.0)	42 (85.7)	9 (81.8)
Hydroxychloroquine	3 (5.0)	3 (6.1)	0
Prednisone+hydroxychloroquine	6 (10.0)	4 (8.2)	2 (18.2)
Extra-pulmonary involvement, n (%)	37 (61.7)	30 (61.2)	7 (63.6)	1.000
Uveitis	10 (16.7)	7 (14.3)	3 (27.3)	0.371
Cutaneous	16 (26.7)	15 (30.6)	1 (9.1)	0.259
Lymph nodes	14 (23.3)	10 (20.4)	4 (36.4)	0.264
Liver	1 (1.7)	1 (2.0)	0	1.000
Spleen	1 (1.7)	1 (2.0)	0	1.000
Comorbidity, n (%)
Diabetes mellitus	1 (1.7)	0	1 (9.1)
Hypertension	4 (6.7)	2 (4.1)	2 (18.2)
Coronary artery disease	1 (1.7)	1 (2.0)	0
GERD	1 (1.7)	1 (2.0)	0
Biopsy, n (%)
Lung	47 (78.3)	38 (77.6)	9 (81.8)	1.000
Skin	11 (18.3)	10 (20.4)	1 (9.1)	0.670
Lymph nodes	2 (3.3)	1 (9.1)	1 (2.0)	0.336

GERD: gastroesophageal reflux disease; *: including those who had contraindications for corticosteroid use or refuse to corticosteroid therapy.