title: Characteristics of tuberculosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective single-center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess the characteristics of hospitalized patients suffering from tuberculosis with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), focusing specifically on those treated without anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review to assess the characteristics of 1,022 hospitalized Japanese patients suffering from tuberculosis with and without RA between 2002 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the 995 non-RA patients with tuberculosis, the 24 RA patients with tuberculosis treated without anti-TNF therapy were older and predominantly female. They less frequently had a history of smoking, with a higher rate of underlying respiratory diseases, an impaired performance status and side effects. The three RA patients receiving anti-TNF therapy had extrapulmonary tuberculosis; however, the rate of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in the other RA patients treated without anti-TNF therapy did not differ from that observed in the non-RA patients. Five patients died during hospitalization. The in-hospital mortality of the RA patients did not differ significantly from that of the non-RA patients. Independent factors contributing to in-hospital mortality did not include RA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the RA patients treated without anti-TNF therapy did not differ from the non-RA patients in terms of the rate of extrapulmonary tuberculosis or bilateral pulmonary lesions, although they did exhibit a higher frequency of side effects of antituberculosis treatment. RA was not found to be an independent factor contributing to in-hospital mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takayanagi
authors.forename: Naho
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kagiyama
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha