Table 3.
Results of pulmonary function testing in 37 patients with CTD-ILD receiving rituximab.
| Variable | Total n = 37 |
RA n = 19 |
SS n = 14 |
IM n = 4 |
p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome * | 0.179 | |||||
| Improvement, n (%) | Final | 6 (16.2) | 1 (5.3) | 4 (28.6) | 1 (25.0) | |
| Stabilization, n (%) | Final | 17 (45.9) | 9 (47.4) | 5 (35.7) | 3 (75.0) | |
| Worsening, n (%) | Final | 7 (18.9) | 3 (15.8) | 4 (28.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Death, n (%) | Final | 7 (18.9) | 6 (31.6) | 1 (7.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Pulmonary function tests | ||||||
| FVC, mean (SD) | Baseline | 72.2 (21.3) | 69.1 (15.0) | 71.6(21.7) | 79.0 (15.0) | 0.644 |
| Final | 70.8 (18.6) | 67.4 (20.2) | 70.7(25.2) | 81.5 (10.0) | 0.312 | |
| FVC < 80%, n (%) | Baseline | 24 (64.9) | 12 (63.2) | 11 (78.6) | 1 (25.0) | 0.138 |
| Final | 25(67.6) | 15 (78.9) | 9 (64.3) | 1 (25.0) | 0.105 | |
| FEV1, mean (SD) | Baseline | 73.0 (18.8) | 69.8 (16.0) | 76.9 (24.9) | 76.2 (7.5) | 0.570 |
| Final | 70.2 (18.7) | 67.1 (19.9) | 72.7 (19.7) | 78.0 (8.0) | 0.516 | |
| DLCO-SB, mean (SD) | Baseline | 55.9 (15.7) | 56.2 (17.7) | 52.8 (15.6) | 58.0 (5.0) | 0.935 |
| Final | 52.2 (17.0) | 53.8 (19.4) | 48.3 (15.2) | 57.1 (4.0) | 0.577 | |
| HRCT pattern | ||||||
| Radiologic type | 0.011 | |||||
| UIP, n (%) | Baseline | 18 (48.6) | 14 (73.7) | 4 (28.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Final | 18 (48.6) | 14 (73.7) | 4 (28.6) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| NSIP, n (%) | Baseline | 18 (48.6) | 4 (21.1) | 10 (71.4) | 4 (100.0) | |
| Final | 18 (48.6) | 4 (21.1) | 10 (71.4) | 4 (100.0) | ||
| Fibrotic NSIP, n (%) | Baseline | 1 (2.7) | 1 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Final | 1 (2.7) | 1 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Progress on HRCT | 0.142 | |||||
| Progression, n (%) | Final | 14 (37.8) | 9 (47.4) | 5 (35.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Stabilization, n (%) | Final | 16 (43.2) | 9 (47.4) | 5 (35.7) | 2 (50.0) | |
| Improvement, n (%) | Final | 7 (18.9) | 1 (5.3) | 4 (28.6) | 2 (50.0) | |
Abbreviations: CTD: connective tissue disease; ILD: interstitial lung disease; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; IM: inflammatory myopathy; SS: systemic sclerosis; FVC: forced vital capacity; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in the first second; DLCO: diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon dioxide; UIP: usual interstitial pneumonia; NSIP: nonspecific interstitial pneumonia; HRCT: high-resolution computed tomography; * Total progression of ILD: taking into account HRCT and pulmonary function testing (FVC and DLCO). Statistical tests used: Pearson chi-squared (χ2), ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, paired t test, and Wilcoxon test.