Table 3.

Comparison of clinical and biochemical parameters before and after intervention in each group and between groups.

Variables	Inulin (n = 30)				Control (n = 30)				P b	P c
	Baseline	End of trial	Change	P a	Baseline	End of trial	Change	P a
Tender joint count (0–28)	13.20 ± 4.09	5.10 ± 4.89	-8.10 ± 0.97	< 0.001	11.93 ± 3.87	9.07 ± 5.65	-2.86 ± 0.92	0.04	0.001	0.002
Swollen joint count (0–28)	6.00 ± 3.87	2.53 ± 2.80	-3.47 ± 0.59	< 0.001	5.38 ± 3.02	3.59 ± 3.04	-1.79 ± 0.46	0.01	0.03	0.04
Pain intensity (mm)	73.67 ± 10.33	56.33 ± 18.29	-17.33 ± 2.83	< 0.001	74.14 ± 10.86	64.14 ± 15.70	-10.00 ± 3.54	0.01	0.08	0.11
DAS-28	6.08 ± 0.64	4.50 ± 1.05	-1.57 ± 0.19	< 0.001	5.71 ± 0.76	5.04 ± 1.03	-0.67 ± 0.15	< 0.001	0.002	0.02
HAQ score	0.96 ± 0.60	0.62 ± 0.50	- 0.34 ± 0.07	< 0.001	0.92 ± 0.56	0.95 ± 0.60	0.03 ± 0.05 0.05 (-0.60,0.90)	0.60*	< 0.001	0.02
Hand grip strength	76.13 ± 58.20	103.05 ± 55.95	26.91 ± 4.50	< 0.001	65.03 ± 33.00	69.36 ± 47.11	4.33 ± 6.86 -1.36 (-41.67,171.67)	0.53*	0.005	0.02
Morning stiffness (mm)	5.13 ± 2.93	3.17 ± 2.95	-1.97 ± 0.42	< 0.001	5.48 ± 3.52	5.03 ± 3.08	-0.45 ± 0.46 0.00 (-9.00.7.00)	0.34*	0.005	0.02
ESR (mm/h)	33.23 ± 17.58	24.60 ± 10.98	-8.63 ± 2.80	0.005	27.62 ± 19.21	26.93 ± 19.88	-0.69 ± 1.57 -2.00 (-19.00,15.00)	0.66*	0.04	0.13
CRP (mg/L)	18.32 ± 23.08	6.60 ± 5.67	-11.72 ± 3.80	0.004	9.75 ± 13.21	11.36 ± 13.70	1.61 ± 1.88 2.40 (-24.10, 24.30)	0.40*	0.005	0.02

Data are expressed as mean ± SD or mean ± SE (for changes) and median (minimum, maximum).

a Obtained from paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test (indicated as *) for differences before and after the intervention in each groups.

b Obtained from ANCOVA with adjustment for baseline values.

c Obtained from ANCOVA with adjustment for baseline values, energy intake, and total fiber.

VAS visual analogue scale, DAS-28 disease activity score of 28 joints, HAQ health assessment questionnaire, ESR erythrocyt.