Table 1.
Clinical characteristics and lipid profile of early rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls
| Controls (n = 63) | Early rheumatoid arthritis patients | ||
| Baseline (n = 58) | Post-treatment (n = 56) | ||
| Sex (males/females) | 20/43 | 14/44 | 13/43 |
| Age (years) | 58.4 ± 17.7 | 53.6 ± 15.3 | 54.7 ± 14.8 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 25.8 ± 6.5 | 25.5 ± 3.3 | 25.8 ± 3.1 |
| IgM rheumatoid factor (+/-) | 0/0 | 45/13 | 44/13 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/dl) | 3 (1–5) | 22 (7–104) | 3 (1–5)‡ |
| Disease activity score for 28 joint indices | - | 5.8 ± 0.9 | 2.7 ± 1.0‡ |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/h) | 5.2 ± 3.1 | 48.0 ± 19.7 | 14.6 ± 8.7‡ |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 190.4 ± 33.9 | 216.5 ± 50.3* | 228.1 ± 42.1** |
| Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 126.5 ± 31.3 | 141.6 ± 42.3* | 140.4 ± 32.4 |
| High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 51.1 ± 7.4 | 47.5 ± 11.8† | 60.7 ± 13.4‡ |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 97.1 ± 28.3 | 133.0 ± 58.2* | 131.5 ± 56.1 |
| Apolipoprotein B-100 (mg/dl) | 93 ± 19 | 103 ± 28* | 105 ± 30 |
| Apolipoprotein A-I (mg/dl) | 144 ± 23 | 127 ± 27† | 152 ± 22‡ |
| Lipoprotein (a) (mg/dl) | 10.6 (0.8–28.0) | 11.2 (2.5–39.7) | 8.6 (2.5–38.1) |
| Plasma lipoprotein phospholipase A2 activity (nmol/ml/min) | 58.6 ± 14.0 | 47.1 ± 19.3† | 45.7 ± 14.6 |
| High-density lipoprotein-associated lipoprotein phospholipase A2 activity (nmol/ml/min) | 3.4 ± 1.3 | 2.7 ± 1.0* | 3.6 ± 1.3‡ |
Data presented as the mean ± standard deviation or as the median (range). *P < 0.001 and †P < 0.0001 compared with controls, ‡P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01 compared with baseline values.