Table 1

Basic characteristics of the included studies

ReferencesYearCountrySample size
(female/male)
Age
(mean±SD or median, IQR) (years)
Duration of RA disease
(mean±SD or median, IQR)
Duration of ILD disease (mean±SD or median, IQR)Follow-up times
(mean±SD or median, IQR)
ILD radiological patterns (n)Other airway disease*,
n (%)
Adverse events (n)Types of ncs-
DMARD treatment
Indicators included†Literature quality evaluationScore
Atienza-Mateo et al192020Spain5 (NA)NANANA6.0 (6.0) monthsNANANARTXNOS5
Cassone et al232020Italy44 (32/12)65.0 (11)89.0 (142.0) months20.0 (58.0) months26.5 (38.0) monthsUIP (19);
NSIP (22);
others‡ (3)
10 (22.7)Non-respiratory infection (1)ABA①③④NOS8
d'Alessandro et al242020Italy4 (NA)NANANA6.0 (6.0) monthsUIP (1);
NSIP (2);
others‡ (1)
NANoneJAKisFEV1/FVCNOS6
Detorakis et al282016Greece42 (27/15)60.1±7.98.9±3.4 yearsNA12.0 (12.0) monthsUIP (22);
NSIP (12);
others‡ (8)
NARespiratory infections (3)TNFis①②NOS8
Dixon et al292010Britain299 (57/242)63.0±10.012.0 (7.0–20.0) yearsNA3.8 (2.0–4.7) yearsNA73 (31.9)NATNFisNOS8
Druce et al302017Britain352 (198/154)62.8±10.511.1±9.7 yearsNA801.3 (NA) person-yearsNA98 (27.8)NARTX, TNFisNOS8
Duarte et al312019Britain26 (NA)NANANA23.3 (6.0–36.0) monthsUIP (4);
NSIP (10);
others‡ (3)
NANARTX①④NOS7
Fernández-Diaz et al202020Spain263 (150/113)64.6±10.09.7±8.7 years1.0 (0.3–3.4) years12.0
(6.0–36.0) months
UIP (106);
NSIP (84);
others‡ (73)
NARespiratory infections (25);
other infections (3);
infusion reaction (1)
ABA①③④⑤NOS8
Fui et al252019Italy14 (NA)62.6±3.2NANA12.0 (12.0) monthsUIP (9);
NSIP (3);
others‡ (2)
NANon-respiratory infection (1);
hypogammaglobulinaemia (1)
RTX①②③NOS7
Koo et al332015Korea24 (21/3)68.5±14.8107.8±51.1 monthsNA19.0 (2.0–58.0) monthsUIP (5); NSIP(NA); others‡ (NA)1 (4.2)NATNFisNOS7
Kurata et al342019Japan23 (NA)NANANA70.9±73.4 weeksNA6 (26.1)NAbDMARDsNOS8
Manfredi et al262019Italy28 (18/10)64.0 (15.0)11.5 (13.0) years12.0 (34.0) months30.0 (44.0) monthsUIP (14);
NSIP (13);
others‡ (1)
NANATCZ①③④NOS8
Matteson et al352012USA10 (6/4)64.7±9.313.8±10.9 years3.2±1.9 years48.0 (48.0) weeksUIP (4);
NSIP (6)
NANARTX①③④NOS7
Mena-Vázquez et al212022Spain19 (13/6)67.7±9.7151.0
(8.0–240.4) months
82.2
(37.4–120.1) months
45.3
(22.2–79.9) months
UIP (14);
NSIP (5)
NARespiratory infections (13);
other infections (5)
RTX①②③④⑤NOS9
Narváez et al222020Spain31 (18/13)61.0±12.048.0
(19.0–116.0) months
21.0
(9.0–38.0) months
24.0 (24.0) monthsUIP (13);
NSIP (10);
others‡ (8)
NARespiratory and other infections (10);
hypogammaglobulinaemia (9)
RTX①③④NOS7
Tardella et al272022Italy75 (52/23)59.5±7.77.5±3.2 yearsNA18.0 (18.0) monthsNANANAABA, JAKis①③④NOS7
Yusof et al322017Britain56 (36/30)64.0
(59.0–72.0)
10.0 (7.0–13.0) years5.0 (3.0–7.0) years195 (NA) person-yearsUIP (20);
NSIP (33);
others‡ (3)
NARespiratory infections (11);
other infections (4);
thromboembolism (2);
acute coronary syndrome (2);
malignancy (3);
other hospitalisation§ (44)
RTX①③④⑤NOS8
  • *Other airway diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, asthma and tuberculosis.

  • †① FVC; ② FEV1; ③ DLCO; ④ changes of HRCT; ⑤ fatality rate.

  • ‡Others including organising pneumonia, cryptogenic organising pneumonia, pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis, bronchiolitis obliterans, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, mixed patterns, etc.

  • §Other hospitalisation including orthopaedics surgery (elective), lung flare, arthritis flare, gastrointestinal surgery, palliative care and seizure.

  • ABA, abatacept; bDMARDs, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; DLCO, diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in the first second; FVC, forced vital capacity; HRCT, high-resolution CT; ILD, interstitial lung disease; JAKis, Janus kinase inhibitors; NA, not applicable; ncs-DMARD, non-conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; NOS, Newcastle–Ottawa Scale; NSIP, non-specific interstitial pneumonia; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RTX, rituximab; TCZ, tocilizumab; TNFis, tumour necrosis factor inhibitors; UIP, usual interstitial pneumonia.