Table 1.
Comparison of characteristics according to exposure to TNFis
| Total (N = 450) | TNFi exposed (N = 233) | TNFi not exposed (N = 217) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional cardiovascular risk factors | ||||
| Age, year, mean (± SD) | 36.4 (±13.0) | 36.6 (±13.1) | 36.3 (±13.0) | 0.811 |
| Male, n (%) | 343 (76.2) | 179 (76.8) | 164 (75.6) | 0.756 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 63 (14.0) | 39 (16.7) | 24 (11.1) | 0.083 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 35 (7.8) | 22 (9.4) | 13 (6.0) | 0.172 |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 74 (16.4) | 42 (18.0) | 32 (14.7) | 0.348 |
| Current Smoker, n (%) | 62 (13.8) | 39 (16.7) | 23 (10.6) | 0.059 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (± SD) | 23.8 (±3.6) | 23.9 (±3.6) | 23.7 (±3.7) | 0.655 |
| AxSpA-related factors | ||||
| Symptom duration, years, median (IQR) | 5.0 (1.9–10.1) | 5.3 (2.1–10.3) | 4.3 (1.3–10.1) | 0.079 |
| HLA-B27 positivea, n (%) | 356 (82.6) | 187 (85.0) | 169 (80.1) | 0.179 |
| Radiographic axSpA, n (%) | 365 (81.1) | 190 (81.5) | 175 (80.6) | 0.807 |
| Syndesmophyte present, n (%) | 123 (27.3) | 60 (25.8) | 63 (29.0) | 0.435 |
| Peripheral manifestations, n (%) | 228 (50.7) | 124 (53.2) | 104 (47.9) | 0.262 |
| Psoriasis, n (%) | 23 (5.1) | 14 (6.0) | 6 (4.1) | 0.370 |
| Uveitis, n (%) | 81 (18.0) | 44 (18.9) | 37 (17.1) | 0.613 |
| Inflammatory bowel diseases, n (%) | 10 (2.2) | 7 (3.0) | 3 (1.4) | 0.341 |
| ESR, mm/h, median (IQR) | 17.5 (8.0–40.0) | 17.0 (8.0–39.8) | 18.5 (8.0–40.3) | 0.978 |
| CRP, mg/L, median (IQR) | 4.1 (0.8–13.9) | 5.1 (1.1–15.8) | 3.3 (0.8–10.5) | 0.038 |
| Medications | ||||
| Non-selective NSAIDsb, n (%) | 313 (69.6) | 169 (72.5) | 144 (66.4) | 0.155 |
| Naproxen, n (%) | 194 (43.1) | 98 (42.1) | 96 (44.2) | 0.641 |
| Selective COX-2 inhibitors, n (%) | 395 (87.8) | 216 (92.7) | 179 (82.5) | 0.001 |
| Methotrexate, n (%) | 67 (14.9) | 53 (22.7) | 14 (6.5) | < 0.001 |
| Sulfasalazine, n (%) | 373 (82.9) | 201 (86.3) | 172 (79.3) | 0.049 |
| Aspirin, n (%) | 11 (2.4) | 5 (2.1) | 6 (2.8) | 0.671 |
| ACEi or ARB, n (%) | 46 (10.2) | 26 (11.2) | 20 (9.2) | 0.497 |
| SGLT2 inhibitors, n (%) | 6 (1.3) | 3 (1.3) | 3 (1.4) | > 0.999 |
| Statin, n (%) | 60 (13.3) | 35 (15.0) | 25 (11.5) | 0.275 |
| Time-averaged ESR, mm/h, median (IQR) | 11.3 (6.0–20.7) | 10.3 (5.9–21.4) | 12.7 (6.4–21.0) | 0.329 |
| Time-averaged CRP, mg/L, median (IQR) | 2.2 (0.9–4.7) | 2.1 (0.9–4.3) | 2.4 (1.0–5.7) | 0.168 |
TNFi tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, BMI body mass index, HLA human leukocyte antigen, axSpA axial spondyloarthritis, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive protein, ACEi angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, ARB angiotensin II receptor blocker, SGLT2 sodium-glucose cotransporter-2, NSAIDs non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, COX-2 cyclooxygenase-2
aPatients (n = 19) with missing data excluded
bNon-selective NSAIDs other than naproxen