Comparison of the Clinical Characteristics of Pneumocystis Pneumonia between Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Being Treated with Biologics and Those Being Treated without Biologics
Table 1
Comparison of demographic characteristics of RA-PCP at diagnosis.
Characteristics
All patients
Biologics group
Nonbiologics group
Age, years, mean (SEM)
69.5 (1.5)
66.4 (2.2)
72.5 (1.7)
0.045
Female, (%)
20/24 (83.3)
10/12 (83.3)
10/12 (83.3)
1.00
Smoking, (%)
9/24 (56.3)
4/12 (33.3)
5/12 (41.7)
1.00
Disease duration, days, mean (SEM)
9.4 (2.2)
7.7 (1.0)
11.1 (4.2)
0.44
Comorbidity, (%)
Renal
13/24 (54.2)
6/12 (50.0)
7/12 (58.3)
1.00
Lung
10/24 (41.7)
4/12 (33.3)
6/12 (50.0)
0.68
Heart failure
3/24 (12.5)
1/12 (8.3)
2/12 (16.7)
1.00
Liver
10/24 (41.7)
4/12 (33.3)
6/12 (50.0)
0.68
Diabetes mellitus
7/24 (29.2)
3/12 (25.0)
4/12 (33.3)
0.67
Concomitant treatment, (%)
Glucocorticoid
17/24 (70.8)
7/12 (58.3)
10/12 (83.3)
0.37
Dose of glucocorticoid (mg/day), mean (SEM)
7.7 (1.7)
5.7 (1.1)
9.1 (2.7)
0.60
Methotrexate
23/24 (95.8)
11/12 (91.7)
12/12 (100.0)
1.00
Dose of methotrexate (mg/week), mean (SEM)
9.2 (0.6)
8.9 (0.6)
9.5 (0.9)
0.93
Laboratory findings
/ ratio, mean (SEM)
287 (20)
293 (33)
281 (25)
0.53
White blood cells (/μL), mean (SEM)
6288 (700)
5358 (732)
7217 (1165)
0.51
Lymphocytes (/μL), mean (SEM)
1007 (201)
1429 (357)
585 (96)
0.033
Albumin, g/dL, mean (SEM)
3.0 (0.1)
3.3 (0.2)
2.7 (0.2)
0.06
CRP, mg/dL, mean (SEM)
7.9 (1.2)
5.2 (1.7)
10.6 (1.5)
0.039
IgG, mg/dL, mean (SEM)
1023 (91)
1127 (124)
896 (128)
0.26
LDH, U/L, mean (SEM)
343 (24)
298 (24)
389 (38)
0.11
KL-6, U/mL, mean (SEM)
793 (117)
632 (100)
1008 (226)
0.22
β-D glucan, pg/mL, mean (SEM)
166 (32)
100 (30)
231 (52)
0.039
Death, (%)
3/24 (12.5)
1/12 (8.3)
2/12 (16.7)
1.00
between biologics and nonbiologics group. dysfunction: estimated glomerular filtration rate under 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. disease: interstitial lung disease, bronchiolitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. dysfunction: alanine aminotransferase over 37 IU/L. Biologic agents: infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab, and abatacept. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; PCP, pneumocystis pneumonia; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; CRP, C-reactive protein; KL-6, Krebs von den Lungen-6.
