Table 2.
Selected characteristics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
| Characteristic | RA n = 225 |
|---|---|
| Female, n (%) | 207 (92.0) |
| Age, years | 52.47 ± 10.96 |
| Alcohol consumption*, n (%) | 28 (12.4) |
| Smoke exposure, n (%) | 64 (28.4) |
| RA characteristics | |
| Disease duration (years), mean ± SD | 8.97 ± 8.32 |
| DAS28, mean ± SD | 5.04 ± 1.36 |
| HAQ-Di score (units) | 0.84 ± 0.67 |
| Global functional status III-IV, n (%) | 43 (19.1) |
| Steinbrocker stage in hands III or IV n (%) | 94 (41.8) |
| ExRA, n (%) | 95 (42.2) |
| Extra-articular manifestations | |
| Sjögren's Syndrome, n (%) | 58 (25.8) |
| Chronic anemia, n (%) | 33 (14.7) |
| Rheumatoid nodules, n (%) | 23 (10.2) |
| Peripheral neuropathy, n (%) | 12 (5.3) |
| Pulmonary fibrosis, n (%) | 6 (2.7) |
| Raynaud's phenomenon, n (%) | 3 (1.3) |
| Felty's Syndrome, n (%) | 2 (0.9) |
| Thrombosis, n (%) | 2 (0.9) |
| Scleritis, n (%) | 1 (0.4) |
| Intestinal vasculitis, n (%) | 1 (0.4) |
| Laboratory findings | |
| ESR, mm/h | 29.22 ± 11.90 |
| CRP, mg/L | 20.85 ± 30.83 |
| Positive RF**, n = 204 (%) | 135 (66.2) |
| RF titres, IU/mL | 119.11 ± 237.99 |
| Positive anti-CCP | 155 (68.9) |
| Anti-CCP titres, IU/mL | 72.44 ± 88.22 |
| Positive anti-MCV | 157 (69.7) |
| Anti-MCV titres, IU/mL | 156.85 ± 183.50 |
| (+) anti-CCP and (+) anti-MCV, n = 225 | 140 (62.2) |
| (+) anti-CCP, (+) anti-MCV and (+) RF, n = 204 | 110 (53.9) |
| Treatment | |
| Synthetic DMARDs, n (%) | 206 (92.6) |
| MTX users, n (%) | 180 (80.0) |
| Anti-TNFα agents, n (%) | 19 (8.4) |
| Corticosteroids, n (%) | 214 (95.1) |
| Prednisone (current doses), mg/day | 5.24 ± 2.06 |
RA: rheumatoid arthritis; *Alcohol consumption: defined as consume of at least one alcoholic beverage on a daily basis in the last year. DAS28: disease activity score; HAQ-Di: Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index; ExRA: rheumatoid arthritis with extra-articular manifestations; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; **RF: rheumatoid factor (only assessed in two thousand four patients); CRP: C-Reactive Protein; anti-CCP: anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies; anti-MCV: anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin, DMARDs: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Qualitative variables are expressed as frequencies (%); quantitative variables are expressed as means and standard deviation.