Baseline characteristics of the 48 study patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease according to antirheumatic drugs received during disease followup. Data are no. (%) patients unless otherwise indicated.
| Antirheumatic Drugs Post-NTM Diagnosis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Total | MTX | Corticosteroid | TNF Antagonists/Tocilizumab | Others | p* |
| No. patients | 48 (100) | 17 (100) | 12 (100) | 9 (100) | 10 (100) | |
| Female | 35 (72.9) | 14 (82.4) | 7 (58.3) | 6 (66.7) | 8 (80.0) | 0.354 |
| Age, mean yrs ± SD | 67.0 ± 8.9 | 66.5 ± 8.4 | 65.7 ± 9.2 | 67.0 ± 8.5 | 69.5 ± 10.3 | 0.996 |
| Smoker | 15 (31.3) | 5 (29.4) | 5 (41.7) | 3 (33.3) | 2 (20.0) | 0.905 |
| Comorbidity | ||||||
| Respiratory disease | 23 (47.9) | 8 (47.1) | 5 (41.7) | 5 (55.6) | 5 (50.0) | 0.916 |
| Systemic disease | 24 (50.0) | 7 (41.2) | 8 (66.7) | 4 (44.4) | 5 (50.0) | 0.416 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 19.9 ± 2.8 | 20.4 ± 2.6 | 20.0 ± 2.8 | 20.0 ± 4.2 | 19.0 ± 2.0 | 0.710 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 12.4 ± 1.4 | 12.1 ± 1.3 | 12.2 ± 1.9 | 12.7 ± 1.5 | 12.7 ± 0.8 | 0.597 |
| Albumin, g/dl | 3.7 ± 0.5 | 3.6 ± 0.5 | 3.5 ± 0.5 | 3.7 ± 0.3 | 4.1 ± 0.3 | 0.469 |
| ESR, mm/h | 58.8 ± 33.5 | 64.9 ± 33.9 | 67.7 ± 33.6 | 45.8 ± 39.7 | 43.9 ± 24.5 | 0.475 |
| CRP, mg/dl | 2.74 ± 3.85 | 3.26 ± 4.22 | 4.80 ± 5.01 | 1.39 ± 1.16 | 0.59 ± 0.92 | 0.423 |
| NTM species | 0.884 | |||||
| MAC | 39 (81.3) | 12 (70.6) | 10 (83.3) | 7 (77.8) | 10 (100.0) | |
| Others† | 9 (18.8) | 5 (29.4) | 2 (16.7) | 2 (22.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Radiographic features | 0.952 | |||||
| NB | 32 (62.7) | 11 (64.7) | 7 (58.3) | 6 (66.7) | 8 (80.0) | |
| FC | 5 (10.4) | 2 (11.8) | 1 (8.3) | 1 (11.1) | 1 (10.0) | |
| FC+NB | 7 (14.6) | 2 (11.8) | 3 (25.0) | 2 (22.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Others | 4 (8.3) | 2 (11.8) | 1 (8.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (10.0) | |
| Antirheumatic drugs at NTM diagnosis | < 0.001 | |||||
| MTX | 19 (39.6) | 15 (88.2) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (33.3) | 1 (10.0) | |
| Corticosteroid | 10 (20.8) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (83.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| TNF antagonists/tocilizumab | 6 (12.5) | 2 (11.8) | 1 (8.3) | 3 (33.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Others | 13 (27.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (8.3) | 3 (33.3) | 9 (90.0) | |
| Initial management | 0.519 | |||||
| Observation or 1 drug | 36 (75.0) | 12 (70.6) | 8 (66.7) | 8 (88.9) | 8 (80.0) | |
| ≥ 2 drugs | 12 (25.0) | 5 (29.4) | 4 (33.3) | 1 (11.1) | 2 (20.0) | |
↵† Includes patients with M. gordonae (n = 5), M. kansasii (n = 2), M. abscessus (n = 2).
↵* In relation to all types of antirheumatic drugs except Others. NTM: nontuberculous mycobacteria; MTX: methotrexate; TNF: tumor necrosis factor; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; MAC: Mycobacterium avium complex; NB: nodular/bronchiectatic disease; FC: fibrocavitary disease.