Table 3.
The clinical features of the patients with data for lung response assessment
| Progressed n= 7 (35%) | Not progressed* n= 13 (65%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Male sex, n (%) | 5 (71.4) | 7 (53.8) |
| Age at RA diagnosis, mean (SD), years | 46.1 (15.9) | 49.9 (11.9) |
| Age at ILD diagnosis, mean (SD), years | 57.1 (9.9) | 58.7 (5.2) |
| Age at first RTX infusion, years, mean (SD) | 61.5 (7.8) | 61.4 (4.8) |
| ILD duration at first RTX infusion, years, median (Q1-Q3) | 4.2 (0.06-7.03) | 1.6 (0.06-3.98) |
| Smoking, n (%) | 7 (100.0) | 7 (53.8) |
| Never | 0 (0.0) | 6 (46.2) |
| Ex-smoker | 7 (100.0) | 5 (38.5) |
| Current | 0 (0.0) | 2 (15.4) |
| Pre-RTX progression, n (%) | 2 (28.6) | 3 (23.1) |
| Pre-RTX extensive disease ‡ , n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (23.1) |
| Pre-RTX moderate disease ‡ , n (%) | 4 (57.1) | 4 (30.8) |
| Pre- and post-RTX PFT availability, n (%) | 6 (85.7) | 6 (46.2) |
| Pre-RTX FVC, %, median (Q1-Q3) | 74 (64-90) | 82 (63-109) |
| Pre-RTX DLCO, %, median (Q1-Q3) | 71 (65-74) | 68 (48-77) |
| Pre-RTX DLCO ≤ 60%, n (%) | 1 (16.7) | 4 (44.4) |
| DAS28 at first RTX infusion, mean (SD) | 4.6 (1.5) | 5.3 (1.5) |
| Erosive disease, n (%) | 5 (71.4) | 8 (61.5) |
| Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules n (%) | 2 (28.6) | 6 (46.2) |
| UIP pattern, n (%) | 4 (57.1) | 6 (46.2) |
| Emphysema, n (%) | 5 (71.4) | 7 (53.8) |
| Bronchiectasis (tubular/cystic), n (%) | 1 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Death, n (%) | 1 (14.3) † | 0 (0.0) |
RA= rheumatoid arthritis, ILD= interstitial lung disease, RTX= rituximab, PFT= pulmonary function test, FVC= forced vital capacity, DLCO= diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide, DAS28= disease activity score 28, UIP= usual interstitial pneumonia
*This group includes the patients with stabilization or improvement of RA-ILD after the usage of RTX.
‡According to the HRCT extension
†This patient died of respiratory failure.