Table 1.

Patient characteristics

	Number	Age	Sex		Disease		Erosive
	of subjects	(years)	(F/total)		duration (years)	CRP	disease
All patients	45	55	34/45		10	15	27/42
		(23–86)	(76%)		(0.5–30)	(0–95)	(64%)
Patients with		54	15/19		8	10	12/18
high anti-CII levels	19	(31–86)	(79%)		(0.5–30)	(0–95)	(67%)
Patients with low	26	55	19/26		12.5	20	15/24
anti-CII levels		(23–78)	(73%)		(2.0–30)	(0–62)	(63%)
Healthy controls	25	51	22/25		–	ND	–
		(36–61)	(88%)
	Number of	Number of			Mean daily
	swollen	tender	NSAID	Steroid	prednisolone	MTX	DMARD
	joints	joints	therapy	therapy	dosage	therapy	therapy
All patients	2	4	26/42	13/42	2.0	13/42	30/42
	(0–17)	(0–17)	(62%)	(31%)		(31%)	(71%)
Patients with	9	6	10/18	4/18	1.1	5/18	9/18
high anti-CII levels	(0–17)	(0–17)	(56%)	(22%)		(28%)	(50%)
Patients with low	2	3	16/24	9/24	/2.7	8/24	21/24
anti-CII levels	(0-15)	(0–16)	(67%)	(38%)		(33%)	(88%)
Healthy controls	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Data are given as median values and ranges for the various groups. Daily prednisolone dosages are presented as mean values in mg. Disease Modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) include sulfasalazin (0/18 high anti-CII patients treated, 6/24 low anti-CII patients treated,), cyklosporine (1/18 high anti-CII, 1/24 low anti-CII), Reumacon (a podophyllin derivative, 1/18 high anti-CII, 1/24 low anti-CII), chloroquine (0/18 high anti-CII, 2/24 low anti-CII), aurathiomalase (0/18 high anti-CII, 3/24 low anti-CII), auranofin (1/18 high anti-CII, 0/24 low anti-CII) and azatioprin (1/18 high Anti-CII, 1/24 low anti-CII). Figures for sex distribution, erosiveness and medications are given both as fraction of number positive/number Investigated, and as percentage. Data on erosive disease are based on X-ray evaluations. Patient charts were not available for three patients, one With high anti-CII levels and two with low anti-CII levels. F, female; CRP, C-reactive protein; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; MTX, Methotrexate; ND, not done; CII, collagen type II.