Our results were similar to those of Winthrop et al, who observed that among anti-TNF users (n = 8418, 60% with RA; 18 with NTM disease, 12/18 with pulmonary NTM; 16 with active TB, 11/16 with active PTB), NTM case-patients with a median age of 68 years active TB case-patients with a median age of 57.5 years were both more likely to have RA [21]. Here, TNF is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.