Table 1.
RCTs comparing outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis
| Trial | Arms | No. of | Mean/median disease | Outcome |
Outcome |
||
| patients | duration at presentation | assessment at | Clinical | Functional (change in HAQ) | Radiological | ||
| TICORA[3] | Intensive Conventional | 55 55 | Approximately 20 mo | 18 mo | EGR 82% vs 45% ER 64% vs 16% ACR70 71% vs 18% | NA | Median change TSS 4.5 vs 8.5 |
| CAMERA[4] | Intensive | 151 | < 1 yr | 1 yr | Remission for 3 mo 35% vs 14% ACR50 58% vs 43% | NS | NS |
| Conventional | 148 | 2 yr | Remission for 3 mo 50% vs 37% ACR50 43% vs 45% | ||||
| FINRACO[5] | SSZ + MTX + HCQ | 87 | Approximately 8 mo | 2 yr | ACR remission 37% vs 18% | NS | Increase Larsen score 4 vs 12 |
| SSZ | 91 | ACR50 71% vs 58% | |||||
| NEO-RACO[20] | SSZ + MTX + HCQ + IFX | 50 | 4 mo | 5 yr | Remission-ACR: 60% vs 61% | NA | Change in SHS NS |
| SSZ + MTX + HCQ + Placebo | 49 | DAS28: 84% vs 89% | |||||
| BEST[8] | Seq Monotherapy | 126 | 2 wk | 1 yr | LDA 53%; 64%; 71%; 74% | 0.7; 0.7; 0.9; 0.8 | Change in SHS 2; 2.5; 1; 0.5 |
| Step up | 121 | ||||||
| MTX + SSZ + Pred | 133 | ||||||
| MTX + IFX | 128 | 2 yr | LDA 75%; 81%; 78%; 82% | 0.7; 0.8; 0.9; 0.9 | Change in SHS 2; 2; 1; 1 | ||
| TEAR[10] | Immediate ETAN | 244 | Approximately 4 mo | 2 yr | ACR20 45%-50% in all | NS | Change in TSS 0.5; 1.9; 0.7; 1.4 |
| Immediate triple | 132 | ACR50 35%-40% in all | |||||
| Step-up ETAN | 255 | ACR70 10%-20% in all | |||||
| Step-up triple | 124 | ||||||
NS: Not significant; NA: Not available; SHS: Modified sharp score; MTX: Methotrexate; SSZ: Sulfasalazine; HCQ: Hydroxychloroquine; IFX: Infliximab; ETAN: Etanercept; Pred: Prednisolone; LDA: Low disease activity; EGR: EULAR good response; ER: EULAR remission; TSS: Total sharp score; DAS: Disease activity score.