Table 3.
Assessment of patients who developed persistent transaminitis during MTX treatment for RA (n = 44)
| Characteristic | At baseline | At development |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (95% CI) | 60.5 (57.8, 61.7) | 63.0 (60.2, 65.8) |
| Male/female, n | 8/36 | ‒ |
| MTX use | ||
| Weekly dose, mg, median (95% CI) | 8.7 (8.1, 9.2) | 8.7 (8.1, 9.3) |
| Duration, months, median (95% CI) | 0 | 29.0 (20.5, 37.6) |
| Cumulative dose, mg, median (95% CI) | 0 | 1113 (750, 1476) |
| US findings | ||
| Fatty liver | ‒ | 19 (43.2) |
| Fatty liver + hepatic fibrosis | – | 12 (27.3) |
| Hepatic fibrosis | ‒ | 7 (15.9) |
| No abnormal findings | ‒ | 6 (13.6) |
| L/S ratio on high-resolution CT, mean (95% CI) | 1.20 (1.14, 1.25) | 1.14 (1.09, 1.20) |
| ≥1.3 (no fat deposition), n (%) | 13 (29.5) | 9 (20.5) |
| ≥1.1 and <1.3 (mild fat deposition), n (%) | 21 (47.7) | 15 (34.1) |
| <1.1 (moderate to severe fat deposition), n (%) | 10 (22.7) | 20 (45.5) |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (95% CI) | 24.8 (23.5, 26.1) | 24.7 (23.4, 26.1) |
| ≥25 (obesity), n (%) | 19 (43.2) | 18 (40.9) |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 18 (40.9) | 20 (45.5) |
| Type 2 diabetes, n (%) | 5 (11.4) | 7 (15.9) |
| Chronic kidney disease, n (%) | 4 (9.1) | 5 (11.4) |
| Concurrent use of other RA medications | ||
| NSAIDs, n (%) | 19 (43.2) | 10 (22.7) |
| Prednisolone, n (%) | 19 (43.2) | 5 (11.4) |
| Autoantibodies | ||
| ANA titres ≥1:160, n (%) | – | 2 (4.5) |
| AMA-M2 positive, n (%) | – | 1 (2.3) |
Data were obtained when MTX use began (at baseline) and when persistent transaminitis developed (at development).
AMA-M2: anti-mitochondrial M2 antibody; L/S ratio: liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio.