Table 2. Characteristics of the study population.
| Mean (SD%) | JAKi (n=30) | TNFi (n=31) | JAKi versus TNFi p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age, years (SD) | 56.63 (11.02) | 61.28 (9.86) | 0.223 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 27 (90.0%) | 23 (74.2%) | 0.165 |
| Disease activity | |||
| Disease duration, months | 181 (107) | 161 (108) | 0.480 |
| ACPA >7 kU/L, n (%) | 19 (63.3%) | 16 (51.6%) | 0.355 |
| ACPA titre, kU/L | 286 (231) | 260 (279) | 0.799 |
| RF >14 kU/L, n (%) | 24 (80.0%) | 21 (67.7%) | 0.384 |
| RF titre, kU/L | 162 (158) | 145 (228) | 0.778 |
| ESR mm/hour (SD) | 22.33 (19.16) | 16.81 (13.30) | 0.194 |
| CRP, mg/L (SD) | 3.52 (4.50) | 2.27 (4.05) | 0.256 |
| TJC28 (SD) | 1.5 (2.3) | 2.8 (5.3) | 0.210 |
| SJC28 (SD) | 0.7 (1.3) | 0.9 (1.8) | 0.617 |
| DAS28CRP (SD) | 2.29 (1.04) | 2.53 (1.21) | 0.409 |
| SDAI (SD) | 8.14 (8.11) | 10.10 (10.40) | 0.414 |
| Remission | 23 (76.7%) | 21 (67.7%) | 0.900 |
| Low disease activity | 3 (10.0%) | 4 (12.9%) | |
| Moderate disease activity | 3 (10.0%) | 4 (12.9%) | |
| High disease activity | 1 (3.3%) | 2 (6.5%) | |
| Medications | |||
| Treatment duration, months (SD) | 38.10 (23.15) | 80.06 (67.42) | 0.002 |
| Prior b/tsDMARD classes, n (SD) | 1.53 (1.04) | 0.42 (0.50) | <0.001 |
| Prednisone dose, mg/day (SD) | 1.23 (2.08) | 1.15 (2.10) | 0.870 |
| NSAID, n (%) | 14 (46.7%) | 14 (45.2%) | 0.906 |
| Current csDMARDs (%) | 20 (66.7%) | 11 (35.5%) | 0.039 |
| Methotrexate | 18 (60.0%) | 11 (35.5%) | 0.069 |
| Leflunomide | 1 (3.3%) | 1 (3.2%) | |
| Sulfasalazine | 1 (3.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| CVD risk profile | |||
| Hypercholesterolaemia, n (%) | 16 (55.2%) | 15 (48.4%) | 0.617 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dL (SD) | 205.50 (27.32) | 202.15 (33.97) | 0.645 |
| LDLc, mg/dL (SD) | 117.96 (29.34) | 121.74 (35.61) | 0.654 |
| People who have ever smoked | 7 (23.3%) | 7 (22.6%) | 0.865 |
| People who have never smoked, n (%) | 23 (76.7%) | 24 (77.4%) | 0.892 |
| People who previously smoked, n (%) | 4 (13.3%) | 3 (9.7%) | |
| People who smoke, n (%) | 3 (10.0%) | 4 (12.9%) | |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 1 (3.3%) | 3 (9.7%) | 0.612 |
| Prior CVD, n (%) | 4 (13.3%) | 5 (16.1%) | 0.758 |
| BMI, kg/m2 (SD) | 24.60 (3.80) | 25.08 (4.47) | 0.650 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 8 (26.7%) | 12 (38.7%) | 0.316 |
P values refer to Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables.
ACPA, anticitrullinated protein antibodies; BMI, body mass index; b/tsDMARDs, biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; CRP, C reactive protein; csDMARDs, conventional synthetic DMARDs; CVD, cardiovascular disease; DAS28CRP, Disease Activity Score-28 with CRP; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; JAKi, Janus kinase inhibitors; LDLc, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RF, rheumatoid factor; SDAI, Simple Disease Activity Index; SJC28, 28-joint swollen joint count; TJC28, 28-joint tender joint count; TNFi, tumour necrosis factor inhibitors.