Table 1. Baselinea characteristics of the treatment episodes (n = 1618).
| (n = number of treatment episodes) | Control group | INH group | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 1466) | (n = 152) | ||
| Age, year, mean (SD) | 42.1 (15.5) | 45.1 (17.1) | 0.040 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 442 (30.2) | 50 (32.9) | 0.484 |
| Disease duration, year, mean (SD) | 3.2 (4.1) | 2.0 (3.2) | <0.001 |
| Underlying diseases, n (%) | |||
| Systemic lupus erythematosus, n (%) | 714 (48.7) | 86 (56.6) | 0.065 |
| Systemic sclerosis, n (%) | 33 (2.3) | 2 (1.3) | 0.451 |
| Dermatomyositis, n (%) | 131 (8.9) | 20 (13.2) | 0.089 |
| Polymyositis, n (%) | 71 (4.8) | 3 (2.0) | 0.107 |
| GPA, n (%) | 34 (3.7) | 5 (3.3) | 0.805 |
| MPA, n (%) | 13 (0.9) | 8 (5.3) | <0.001 |
| EGPA, n (%) | 45 (3.1) | 7 (4.6) | 0.307 |
| Polyarteritis nodosa, n (%) | 26 (1.8) | 4 (2.6) | 0.455 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis, n (%) | 70 (4.8) | 2 (1.3) | 0.049 |
| Adult-onset Still’s disease, n (%) | 39 (2.7) | 3 (2.0) | 0.612 |
| Behcet’s disease, n (%) | 195 (33.3) | 3 (2.0) | <0.001 |
| Primary Sjogren’s syndrome, n (%) | 8 (0.5) | 1 (0.7) | 0.859 |
| Others, n (%) b | 54 (3.7) | 7 (4.6) | 0.570 |
| High-risk for LTBI, n (%) c | 76 (5.2) | 16 (10.5) | 0.007 |
| Incomplete adherence to treatment of previous TB infection | 19/1466 (1.3) | 3/152 (2.0) | 0.492 |
| Positive IGRA result | 12/161 (7.5) | 4/26 (15.4) | 0.063 |
| Linear or reticular fibrotic lesions on chest radiographs | 56/1350 (4.1) | 9/148 (6.1) | 0.273 |
| Steroid pulse treatment, n (%) | 226 (15.4) | 59 (38.8) | <0.001 |
| Oral cyclophosphamide, n (%) | 65 (4.4) | 19 (12.5) | <0.001 |
| Cyclophosphamide pulse treatment, n (%) | 130 (8.9) | 34 (22.4) | <0.001 |
| Mycophenolate mofetil, n (%) | 112 (7.6) | 5 (3.3) | 0.049 |
| Cyclosporine, n (%) | 94 (6.4) | 15 (9.9) | 0.106 |
| Methotrexate, n (%) | 98 (6.7) | 8 (5.3) | 0.500 |
| Mean steroid dose used during the prior 6 months, mg/day, mean (SD) d | 9.9 (10.0) | 12.6 (9.5) | 0.002 |
| Baseline lymphopenia, n (%) e | 335 (22.9) | 57 (37.5) | <0.001 |
IGRA, interferon-γ release assay; INH, isoniazid; LTBI, latent tuberculosis infection; GPA, granulomatosis with polyangiitis; MPA, microscopic polyangiitis; EGPA, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; PD, prednisone; SD, standard deviation.
a The baseline date was defined as the day on which INH prophylaxis (INH group) or high-dose steroids (control group) were started.
b Including polymyalgia rheumatica, Takayasu’s arteritis, temporal arteritis, and relapsing polychondritis.
c Including an incomplete adherence to treatment of previous TB infection, a positive IGRA result, and/or the presence of linear or reticular fibrotic lesions on chest radiographs.
d Based on the dose of prednisone.
e Defined as <800 lymphocytes per microliter.