Table 2.
Clinical and biological characteristics of the 481 early RA patients who had a follow-up assessment of 12 months
| Early RA patients n = 481 | Baseline (T0) | Follow-up (T12) |
|---|---|---|
| Gender: female, n (%) | 358 (74.4) | – |
| Age, years | 54.4±12.0 | – |
| Disease duration, months | 6.4±3.3 | – |
| VERA, n (%) | 105 (21.8) | – |
| DMARD only, n (%) | – | 329 (68.4) |
| Anti-TNF, n (%) | – | 152 (31.6) |
| Tender joint count (28 joints) | 9.0±5.3 | 2.8±3.3 |
| Swollen joint count (28 joints) | 6.4±4.6 | 1.8±2.4 |
| PhGA (0–100) | 49.8±20.1 | 24.8±25.4 |
| PGA (0–100) | 60.6±19.8 | 27.0±23.3 |
| VAS pain (0–100) | 59.3±22.4 | 24.4±21.9 |
| GH (0–100) | 55.9±19.7 | 58.7±28.9 |
| HAQ (0–3) | 1.15±0.6 | 0.5±0.5 |
| ESR, mm/1st h | 38.9±21.9 | 23.2±15.5 |
| CRP, mg/l | 23.0±26.0 | 8.6±12.6 |
| DAS28 | 5.4±1.1 | 3.4±1.4 |
| Erosive patients, n (%) | 168 (34.9) | 264 (54.9) |
CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS28, disease activity score in 28 joints; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; GH, general health; HAQ, health assessment questionnaire; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; PGA, patient global assessment; PhGA, physician global assessment; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; VAS, visual analogue scale; VERA, very early rheumatoid arthritis.