Table 2.
Comparison of clinical and laboratory characteristics at the baseline between GG genotype carriers and GC or CC genotype carriers.
| GG n = 54 |
GC or CC n = 42 |
p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic characteristics | |||
| Females, n (%) | 51 (94.4) | 42 (100) | 0.25 |
| Age (yr), mean ± SD | 50.5 ± 9.7 | 50.7 ± 10.9 | 0.93 |
| Disease characteristics | |||
| Disease duration (yr), mean ± SD | 6.9 ± 7.4 | 8.5 ± 7.1 | 0.36 |
| DAS-28 score, mean ± SD | 5.6 ± 1.1 | 5.5 ± 1.04 | 0.87 |
| HAQ-Di score, mean ± SD | 0.95 ± 0.6 | 0.94 ± 0.51 | 0.98 |
| Rheumatoid Factor (RF) (IU/mL), mean ± SD | 108.6 ± 151.9 | 39.1 ± 39.7 | 0.009 |
| Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) (mm/h), mean ± SD | 29.5 ± 12.3 | 23.8 ± 9.3 | 0.02 |
| IL-6 serum levels (pg/mL), mean ± SD | 25.7 ± 68.0 | 8.5 ± 11.8 | 0.08 |
| Treatment characteristics | |||
| Glucocorticoid dose (mg), mean ± SD | 2.3 ± 2.7 | 1.5 ± 1.0 | 0.06 |
| Methotrexate (MTX) n (%) | 33 (61.1) | 17 (55) | 0.39 |
| Leflunomide (LEF), n (%) | 21 (39.0) | 14 (45) |
GG: excisable homozygote genotype; GC: heterozygote genotype; CC: homozygote genotype; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; HAQ-Di: Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability index; DAS-28: modified Disease Activity Score (28 joints); IL-6: interleukin-6 serum levels. Qualitative variables were expressed in frequencies (%); quantitative variables were expressed in means ± standard deviations (SD). Comparisons between differences in proportions were performed with chi-square test (or Fisher exact test if applicable). Comparisons between differences in means were performed using independent samples Student's t-tests.