Table 1.
Patient characteristics at baseline.
| Patient characteristic at baseline | Exposed (n = 17) | Unexposed (n = 24) | P value (2 tailed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 48.76 ± 10.57 | 38.79 ± 14.09 | 0.018 |
| Women, n (%) | 14 (82.35) | 20 (83.33) | 0.937 |
| Previous biologic DMARDs* (n) | 1.29 ± 0.588 | 1.25 ± 0.532 | 0.803 |
| DAS28 | 5.16 ± 1.15 | 5.16 ± 1.44 | 0.993 |
| CRP (mg/L) | 18.52 ± 23.82 | 36.2 ± 45.26 | 0.172 |
| ESR (mm/h) | 36.44 ± 20.46 | 49.75 ± 27.71 | 0.109 |
| RF (U/L) | 87.21 ± 66.37 | 87.13 ± 65.71 | 0.997 |
| Total serum cholesterol (mg/dL) | 225.94 ± 58.343 | 181.83 ± 47.023 | 0.011 |
| mSCORE | 2.90 ± 3.54 | 3.27 ± 8.99 | 0.789 |
Values are mean ± SD.
*Number of biologic DMARDs prescribed prior to rituximab.
DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; RF: rheumatoid factor; mSCORE: modified Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation.