Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients who were treated with TNF antagonists.

From: Active Tuberculosis Incidence and Characteristics in Patients Treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists According to Latent Tuberculosis Infection

Characteristic

LTBI (n = 255)

No LTBI (n = 447)

Total (n = 702)

P

Age, years, median (range)

50 (21–78)

39 (20–84)

44 (20–84)

<0.001

Sex (male), n (%)

134 (52.5)

222 (49.7)

356 (50.7)

0.462

BMI, mean ± SD, kg/m2

22.83 ± 3.41

21.76 ± 3.93

22.19 ± 3.76

<0.001

Chest x-ray finding suggestive healed TB, n (%)

9 (3.5)

2 (0.4)

11 (1.6)

0.003*

Main diagnosis, n(%)

 Rheumatoid arthritis

119 (46.7)

140 (31.3)

259 (36.9)

<0.001

 Ankylosing spondylitis

81 (31.8)

93 (20.8)

174 (24.8)

0.001

 Crohn’s disease

16 (6.3)

125 (28.0)

141 (20.1)

<0.001

 Ulcerative colitis

24 (9.4)

56 (12.5)

80 (11.4)

0.211

 Others

15 (5.9)

33 (7.4)

48 (6.8)

0.449

Comorbidity, n (%)

 HTN

30 (11.8)

46 (10.3)

76 (10.8)

0.546

 DM

19 (7.5)

19 (4.3)

38 (5.4)

0.072

 Chronic lung disease†

3 (1.2)

10 (2.2)

13 (1.9)

0.394*

 Chronic kidney disease

6 (2.4)

6 (1.3)

12 (1.7)

0.369*

 Chronic liver disease

3 (1.2)

5 (1.1)

8 (1.1)

1.000*

 Malignancy

10 (3.9)

10 (2.2)

20 (2.8)

0.197

TNF antagonist, n (%)

 Infliximab

47 (18.4)

161 (36.0)

208 (29.6)

<0.001

 Adalimumab

57 (22.4)

139 (31.1)

196 (27.9)

0.013

 Golimumab

20 (7.8)

31 (6.9)

51 (7.3)

0.656

 Etanercept

48 (18.8)

34 (7.6)

82 (11.7)

<0.001

 Two or more TNF antagonists

83 (32.5)

82 (18.3)

165 (23.5)

<0.001

Immunosuppressive drugs, n (%)

 Steroid

146 (57.3)

201 (45.0)

347 (49.4)

0.002

 Antimetabolite‡

149 (58.4)

292 (65.3)

441 (62.8)

0.069

 Calcineurin inhibitor§

13 (5.1)

7 (1.6)

20 (2.8)

0.007

 Combination

172 (67.5)

309 (69.1)

481 (68.5)

0.646

 Other DMARDs

136 (53.3)

274 (61.3)

410 (58.4)

0.039

 None

5 (2.0)

19 (4.3)

24 (3.4)

0.108

Duration of TNF antagonist use, median (range), months

18.6 (0.5–114.8)

12.7 (0.5–108.7)

15.5 (0.5–114.8)

0.002

Duration of follow up, median (range), months

32.6 (1.1–131.3)

31.8 (0.5–126.7)

32.1 (0.5–131.3)

0.007

Results of LTBI test

 TST induration (mm; median, IQR)

12 (8.75–15)

0 (0–0)

0 (0–11)

<0.001

 IFN- γ concentration (IU/mL;median, IQR)

0.74 (0.08–2.97)

0.01 (0–0.04)

0.02 (0–0.29)

<0.001

  1. Data are presented as numbers (percentages) unless otherwise indicated. *Compared using Fisher’s exact test. †Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease. ‡Methotrexate, Azathioprine. §Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus. 5-Amino salicylic acid derivative, Leflunomide. LTBI, latent tuberculosis infection; BMI, body mass index; TB, tuberculosis; HTN, hypertension; DM, diabetes mellitus; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
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