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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the medium-dose treatment episodes

From: Pneumocystis pneumonia in patients with rheumatic diseases receiving prolonged, non-high-dose steroids—clinical implication of primary prophylaxis using trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole

n = number of treatment episodes

Overall (n = 1065)

Control group (n = 1020)

Prophylaxis group (n = 45)

p a

Age (years), mean (SD)

43.4 (15.0)

43.2 (14.9)

47.4 (17.7)

0.072

Male sex, n (%)

296 (27.8)

281 (27.5)

15 (33.3)

0.397

Disease duration (years), mean (SD)

5.1 (4.5)

5.2 (4.5)

3.9 (5.0)

0.057

Underlying disease

 Systemic lupus erythematosus, n (%)

473 (44.4)

458 (44.9)

15 (33.3)

0.126

 Systemic sclerosis, n (%)

22 (2.1)

21 (2.1)

1 (2.2)

0.940

 Polymyositis, n (%)

57 (5.4)

55 (5.4)

2 (4.4)

0.782

 Dermatomyositis, n (%)

59 (5.5)

50 (4.9)

9 (20.0)

< 0.001

 GPA, n (%)

6 (0.6)

0 (0.0)

6 (13.3)

< 0.001

 MPA, n (%)

3 (0.3)

1 (0.1)

2 (4.4)

< 0.001

 EGPA, n (%)

29 (2.7)

28 (2.7)

1 (2.2)

0.833

 Polyarteritis nodosa, n (%)

8 (0.8)

7 (0.7)

1 (2.2)

0.243

 Rheumatoid arthritis, n (%)

67 (6.3)

64 (6.3)

3 (6.7)

0.916

 Adult-onset Still’s disease, n (%)

28 (2.6)

27 (2.6)

1 (2.2)

0.862

 Behcet’s disease, n (%)

210 (19.7)

209 (20.5)

1 (2.2)

0.003

 Ankylosing spondylitis, n (%)

16 (1.5)

16 (1.6)

0 (0.0)

0.397

 Primary Sjogren’s syndrome, n (%)

14 (1.3)

13 (1.3)

1 (2.2)

0.585

 Relapsing polychondritis, n (%)

12 (1.1)

11 (1.1)

1 (2.2)

0.477

 Polymyalgia rheumatica, n (%)

21 (2.0)

21 (2.1)

0 (0.0)

0.331

 Giant-cell arteritis, n (%)

2 (0.2)

2 (0.2)

0 (0.0)

0.766

 Takayasu’s arteritis, n (%)

28 (2.6)

28 (2.7)

0 (0.0)

0.260

 Others, n (%)b

10 (0.9)

9 (0.9)

1 (2.2)

0.362

Concomitant immunosuppressive treatment

 Steroid-pulse treatment, n (%)

54 (5.1)

42 (4.1)

12 (26.7)

< 0.001

 Oral cyclophosphamide, n (%)

18 (1.7)

14 (1.4)

4 (8.9)

< 0.001

 Cyclophosphamide pulse, n (%)

38 (3.6)

29 (2.8)

9 (20.0)

< 0.001

 Azathioprine, n (%)

236 (22.2)

225 (22.1)

11 (24.4)

0.706

 Mycophenolate mofetil, n (%)

184 (17.3)

181 (17.7)

3 (6.7)

0.054

 Methotrexate, n (%)

169 (15.9)

167 (16.4)

2 (4.4)

0.032

 TNFi, n (%)

20 (1.9)

18 (1.8)

2 (4.4)

0.195

Cumulative steroid dose, mean (SD)c

681.3 (1306.0)

657.1 (1267.5)

1229.8 (1928.5)

0.055

Interstitial lung disease, n (%)

89 (8.4)

73 (7.1)

17 (37.8)

< 0.001

Lymphopenia, n (%)d

131 (12.3)

123 (12.1)

8 (17.8)

0.253

  1. The baseline date was defined as the day on which PCP prophylaxis (prophylaxis group) or medium-dose steroid (control group) was started
  2. GPA granulomatosis with polyangiitis, MPA microscopic polyangiitis, EGPA eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, SD standard deviation, TNFi tumor necrosis factor inhibitor
  3. ap values for comparison of parameters between the control group and the prophylaxis group
  4. bIncluding mixed connective tissue disease, IgG4-related disease and hypersensitivity vasculitis
  5. cCumulative steroid (prednisone) dose during the previous 6 months
  6. dDefined as < 800 lymphocytes per microliter