Table 2.
Baseline disease activity variables
| Variable | Total (n=117) | RP (+) (n=20) | RP (–) (n=97) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tender joint count | 1 (0~4) | 1 (0~4) | 1 (0~3) | 0.362 |
| Swollen joint count | 0 (0~2) | 1 (0~4) | 0 (0~2) | 0.101 |
| Visual analog scale | 50 (30~70) | 45 (35~68) | 50 (30~70) | 0.785 |
| DAS28-ESR | 2.94 (1.80~4.65) | 3.20 (1.93~4.68) | 2.90 (1.75~4.65) | 0.480 |
| Baseline mTSS | 3 (0~18) | 8 (1~52) | 2 (0~16) | 0.022 |
| WBC count (×103/mm3) | 6.48 (5.08~7.64) | 6.61 (4.34~8.01) | 6.48 (5.45~7.52) | 0.534 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 13.0 (12.2~13.7) | 13.1 (12.5~14.0) | 13.0 (12.1~13.6) | 0.467 |
| Platelet count (×103/mm3) | 256 (207~315) | 276 (222~334) | 254 (206~315) | 0.259 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.1 (3.9~4.4) | 4.1 (3.9~4.4) | 4.2 (3.9~4.4) | 0.788 |
| RF (IU/mL) | 76.7 (25.7~182.0) | 48.9 (18.7~461.9) | 77.8 (27.1~171.4) | 0.775 |
| RF positivity | 93 (79.5) | 15 (75.0) | 78 (80.4) | 0.556 |
| RF high positivity* | 66 (56.4) | 9 (45.0) | 57 (58.8) | 0.258 |
| ACPA positivity | 31/37 (83.8) | 5/6 (83.3) | 26/31 (83.9) | 0.999 |
| ACPA high positivity* | 29/37 (78.4) | 5/6 (83.3) | 24/31 (77.4) | 0.999 |
| ESR (mm/h) | 14 (3~31) | 19 (3~48) | 12 (3~31) | 0.561 |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 0.19 (0.04~1.12) | 0.16 (0.04~2.22) | 0.21 (0.04~1.07) | 0.828 |
| sCD14 (pg/mL) | 1,961 (1,725~2,392) | 2,071 (1,833~2,300) | 1,922 (1,714~2,431) | 0.588 |
Values are presented as median (interquartile range) or number (%). RP: radiographic progression, DAS28: Disease Activity Score 28, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mTSS: modified total Sharp score, WBC: white blood cell, RF: rheumatoid factor, ACPA: anti-citrullinated protein antibody, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP: C-reactive protein, sCD14: soluble CD14. *High positivity is defined as >3× the upper limit of normal.