Table 1 Clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis at the time of biopsy and ACR response at the time of the second biopsy.

Patient biopsy		Disease duration (months)	Erosions	DMARD	RF	CRP	DAS28	HAQ	ACR%	EULAR
A	Initial	3	No	SAS	43	130	5.5	2.6		High activity
	4 months	7	No		35	1	2.6	1.2	50	Low activity
B	Initial	3	No	IM Gold	141	15	5.2	1.9		High
	11 months	14	No		20	5	0.7	0.4	80	Remission
C	Initial	9	Yes	IM Gold	263	84	6.4	2.9		High
	17 months	24	Yes		320	4	1.5	0.5	80	Remission
D	Initial	36	Yes	IM Gold +	486	162	6.9	2.8		High
	10 months	48	Yes	Mtx	194	19	4.4	1.5	40	Moderate
E	Initial	3	No	Mtx	20	20	5.6	2.4		High
	41 months	36	No		20	1	0.6	0	90	Remission
F	Initial	180	Yes	Mtx	504	16	5.8	1.8		High
	8 months	192	Yes		145	9	1.8	0.25	70	Remission
G	Initial	3	No	IM Gold	351	62	5.2	2.7		High
	6 months	9	No		26	2	0.7	0.25	90	Remission
H	Initial	6	No	IM Gold	143	26	6.3	2.6		High
	14 months	20	Yes		20	1	0.7	0	Remission	Remission
I	Initial	12	No	IM Gold	404	116	5.8	1.9		High
	30 months	42	Yes		25	1	0.9	0	90	Remission
J	Initial	168	Yes	IM Gold +	400	167	6.9	3		High
	11 months	180	Yes	Mtx	36	12	2.6	0	90	Low
K	Initial	180	No	Mtx	20	83	6	2.7		High
	24 months	204	Yes		20	1	0.8	1.3	90	Remission
L	Initial	108	Yes	CyA	213	51	5.9	2.3		High
	8 months	116	Yes		240	45	6.2	2.7	0	High
M	Initial	36	Yes	IM Gold	486	102	6.9	2.8		High
	6 months	42	Yes		345	86	5.4	2.3	0	High
N	Initial	3	Yes	IM Gold	504	16	5.8	1.8		High
	9 months	12	Yes		520	26	5.5	2.3	0	High
O	Initial	6	No	IM Gold + Mtx	451	24	4.8	2.7		High
	9 months	15	No		540	53	4.7	2.3	0	High
P	Initial	6	No	SAS	43	130	5.5	2.6		High
	8 months	14	No		68	89	5.2	2.3	0	High

ACR, American College of Rheumatology; CRP, C reactive protein (mg/l); CyA, iclosporin A; DMARD, disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug; EULAR, EULAR response criteria⁹; IM Gold, intramuscular sodium aurothiomalate; mtx, methotrexate; SAS, sulphasalazine.

Erosions, radiological evidence of joint erosions on hand and feet x‐rays; RF, rheumatoid factor titre (IU/l); HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire.

Percentage response based on American College of Rheumatology response criteria.¹⁰

Disease Activity Score based on a 28 joint count.⁹