Table 1 Comparison of characteristics according to exposure to TNFis

 Age, year, mean (± SD)

36.4 (±13.0)

36.6 (±13.1)

36.3 (±13.0)

0.811

 Male, n (%)

343 (76.2)

179 (76.8)

164 (75.6)

0.756

 Hypertension, n (%)

63 (14.0)

39 (16.7)

24 (11.1)

0.083

 Diabetes mellitus, n (%)

35 (7.8)

22 (9.4)

13 (6.0)

0.172

 Dyslipidemia, n (%)

74 (16.4)

42 (18.0)

32 (14.7)

0.348

 Current Smoker, n (%)

62 (13.8)

39 (16.7)

23 (10.6)

0.059

 BMI, kg/m², mean (± SD)

23.8 (±3.6)

23.9 (±3.6)

23.7 (±3.7)

0.655

 Symptom duration, years, median (IQR)

5.0 (1.9–10.1)

5.3 (2.1–10.3)

4.3 (1.3–10.1)

0.079

 HLA-B27 positive^a, n (%)

356 (82.6)

187 (85.0)

169 (80.1)

0.179

 Radiographic axSpA, n (%)

365 (81.1)

190 (81.5)

175 (80.6)

0.807

 Syndesmophyte present, n (%)

123 (27.3)

60 (25.8)

63 (29.0)

0.435

 Peripheral manifestations, n (%)

228 (50.7)

124 (53.2)

104 (47.9)

0.262

 Psoriasis, n (%)

23 (5.1)

14 (6.0)

6 (4.1)

0.370

 Uveitis, n (%)

81 (18.0)

44 (18.9)

37 (17.1)

0.613

 Inflammatory bowel diseases, n (%)

10 (2.2)

7 (3.0)

3 (1.4)

0.341

 ESR, mm/h, median (IQR)

17.5 (8.0–40.0)

17.0 (8.0–39.8)

18.5 (8.0–40.3)

0.978

 CRP, mg/L, median (IQR)

4.1 (0.8–13.9)

5.1 (1.1–15.8)

3.3 (0.8–10.5)

0.038

 Non-selective NSAIDs^b, n (%)

313 (69.6)

169 (72.5)

144 (66.4)

0.155

 Naproxen, n (%)

194 (43.1)

98 (42.1)

96 (44.2)

0.641

 Selective COX-2 inhibitors, n (%)

395 (87.8)

216 (92.7)

179 (82.5)

0.001

 Methotrexate, n (%)

67 (14.9)

53 (22.7)

14 (6.5)

< 0.001

 Sulfasalazine, n (%)

373 (82.9)

201 (86.3)

172 (79.3)

0.049

 Aspirin, n (%)

11 (2.4)

5 (2.1)

6 (2.8)

0.671

 ACEi or ARB, n (%)

46 (10.2)

26 (11.2)

20 (9.2)

0.497

 SGLT2 inhibitors, n (%)

6 (1.3)

3 (1.3)

3 (1.4)

> 0.999

 Statin, n (%)

60 (13.3)

35 (15.0)

25 (11.5)

0.275

 Time-averaged ESR, mm/h, median (IQR)

11.3 (6.0–20.7)

10.3 (5.9–21.4)

12.7 (6.4–21.0)

0.329

 Time-averaged CRP, mg/L, median (IQR)

2.2 (0.9–4.7)

2.1 (0.9–4.3)

2.4 (1.0–5.7)

0.168