Table 2.
Comparison of clinical characteristics at baseline
| Characteristic | Responder | Nonresponder | P value |
| Age (years) | 48.33 (± 12.29) | 58.14 (± 13.67) | 0.125a |
| Gender (male) | 2/12 | 2/7 | 0.603b |
| Rheumatoid arthritis duration (years) | 13.5 (± 10.46) | 18.86 (± 13.93) | 0.353a |
| Steroids (mg/d) | 6.71 (± 5.16) | 10.43 (± 6.80) | 0.195a |
| 28-joint-count Disease Activity Score baseline | 5.75 (± 0.94) | 5.33 (± 0.97) | 0.364a |
| Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide-negative | 5/12 | 1/7 | 0.333b |
| Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs | |||
| None | 3/12 | 4/7 | 0.326b |
| Leflunomide | 2/12 | 2/7 | 0.603b |
| Methotrexate | 5/12 | 1/7 | 0.333b |
| Cyclosporin A | 1/12 | 0/7 | 1.000b |
| Sulfasalazine/hydroxychloroquin | 1/12 | 0/7 | 1.000b |
Both patient groups show similar characteristics before therapy onset (mean ± standard deviation and number of patients, respectively). Statistical tests (atwo-sample t test, bexact Fisher test) were applied to check whether any of the parameters are associated with clinical outcome.