Table 2.
Change from baseline in bone erosion parameters evaluated by HR-pQCT.
| Month | Abatacept (N = 15) | csDMARDs (N = 20) | Adjusted mean difference (Abatacept – csDMARDs) [95%CI], P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean change from baseline (SD) | Mean change from baseline (SD) | ||
| Bone erosion-volume, mm3 | |||
| 6 | − 0.77 (2.56) | − 0.36 (1.13) | − 0.97 [− 3.07, 1.13], P = 0.337 |
| 12 | − 1.14 (2.49) | − 0.26 (0.90) | − 1.86 [− 4.28, 0.56], P = 0.122 |
| Bone erosion-depth, mm | |||
| 6 | 0.03 (0.23) | − 0.05 (0.14) | 0.02 [− 0.20, 0.25], P = 0.830 |
| 12 | − 0.04 (0.30) | − 0.09 (0.18) | − 0.02 [− 0.30, 0.27, P = 0.890 |
| Bone erosion- width, mm | |||
| 6 | − 0.06 (0.21) | 0.01 (0.15) | − 0.11 [− 0.34, 0.11], P = 0.293 |
| 12 | − 0.16 (0.38) | − 0.22 (0.41) | − 0.09 [− 0.35, 0.17], P = 0.476 |
The adjusted mean differences at each time point were estimated using a mixed-effects model. The objective variable was the change from baseline, and the fixed effects were group, time point, multiple term between group and time point, and adjustment variables including age, sex, steroid administration status, rheumatoid arthritis disease duration, RF, and baseline values of the outcome measures. The random effects were the patients and each joint.
SD standard deviation, CI confidence interval.