Baseline characteristics of patients with a high probability of developing a persistent arthritis, stratified for induction therapy
| Characteristics | A. MTX+SASP+HCQ+IM GCs (n=91) | B. MTX+SASP+HCQ+oral GCs (n=93) | C. MTX+oral GCs (n=97) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 53 (15) | 54 (14) | 54 (14) |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 55 (60) | 67 (72) | 68 (70) |
| Symptom duration (days), mean (95% CI)* | 162 (97) | 184 (92) | 154 (83) |
| RF positive, n (%) | 55 (60) | 51 (55) | 51 (53) |
| ACPA positive, n (%) | 59 (65) | 50 (54) | 56 (58) |
| Erosion, n (%)† | 24 (26) | 12 (13) | 12 (12) |
| Fullfilment RA criteria, n (%) | |||
| 1987‡ | 69 (76) | 57 (61) | 63 (65) |
| 2010 | 83 (91) | 80 (86) | 83 (86) |
| DAS, mean (SD) | 3.28 (1.06) | 3.39 (1.07) | 3.38 (0.97) |
| DAS28, mean (SD) | 4.81 (1.12) | 4.83 (1.28) | 4.78 (1.27) |
| TJC44, median (IQR) | 8 (4–14) | 9 (5–15) | 10 (4–14) |
| SJC44, median (IQR) | 8 (5–12) | 7 (4–12) | 7 (4–12) |
| VAS global (0–100 mm), median (IQR) | 52 (34–70) | 55 (29–69) | 53 (38–70) |
| ESR in mm/h, median (IQR) | 27 (14–40) | 22 (13–40) | 24 (14–42) |
| CRP in mg/l, median (IQR) | 8 (3.5–23) | 6.5 (4–19) | 11 (5–26) |
| HAQ, mean (SD) | 0.98 (0.67) (n=84) | 0.96 (0.64) (n=84) | 1.06 (0.68) (n=92) |
| RADAI (0–10), mean (SD) | 3.97 (1.83) (n=81) | 3.94 (1.63) (n=80) | 4.21 (1.82) (n=87) |
Not everyone filled in a (complete) questionnaire and therefore n is different for HAQ and RADAI.
↵* p=0.018 B vs C.
↵† p=0.021 and p=0.015 for respectively A vs B and A vs C.
↵‡ p=0.034 A vs B.
ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS, Disease Activity Score; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GCs, glucocorticosteroids; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; MTX, methotrexate; RADAI, Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index questionnaire; RF, rheumatoid factor; SASP, sulfasalazine; SJC44, swollen joint count (44 joints); TJC44, tender joint count (44 joints); VAS, visual analogue scale.