Fig. 1

Case-control selection flow chart. DMARDs, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; HBV, hepatitis B virus; DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid; anti-HBs, HBV surface antibody; HBsAg, HBV surface-antigen; mIU, million International Units. aOne patient could serve as a control repeatedly during follow-up and control subjects could become cases during the study