Table 1.
Baseline Demographics
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | Systemic Sclerosis | Back Pain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 73 | 37 | 26 |
| Median age - years (interquartile range) | 63.0 (53.0–68.0) | 54.0 (49.0–64.0) | 57.5 (41.0–66.0) |
| Median time since diagnosis – years (interquartile range) | 13.0 (5.5–22.5) | 5.0 (3.0–10.0) | - |
| Gender - female | 52 (71%) | 30 (81%) | 11 (42%) |
| Abnormal liver function tests | 11 (15%) | 7 (19%) | 8 (31%) |
| Impaired renal function (eGFR<60mL/min/1.73m2) | 7 (10%) | 3 (8%) | 5 (19%) |
| Diabetes | 8 (11%) | 1 (3%) | 4 (15%) |
| Osteoporosis | 26 (36%) | 6 (16%) | 4 (15%) |
| Hypertension | 30 (41%) | 9 (24%) | 5 (19%) |
|
| |||
| Rheumatoid factor positive | 54 (74%) | - | - |
| Anti-CCP antibody positive | 50 (72%)† | - | - |
| Erosions on X-ray | 46 (67%)† | - | - |
| Rheumatoid nodules | 20 (27%) | - | - |
| Anti-Scl70 antibody positive | - | 15 (11%) | - |
|
| |||
| Anti-centromere antibody positive | - | 7 (5%) | - |
| Anti-RNA polymerase III antibody positive | - | 4 (3%) | - |
| Limited cutaneous | - | 19 (53%)‡ | - |
| Joint involvement | - | 14 (62%) | - |
| Raynaud’s phenomenon | - | 37 (100%) | - |
| Digital ulcers | - | 18 (49%) | - |
| Pulmonary fibrosis | - | 20 (54%) | - |
| Pulmonary hypertension | - | 11 (30%) | - |
| Renal involvement | - | 4 (11%) | - |
| Muscle disease | - | 9 (24%) | - |
|
| |||
| Prednisone | 35 (48%) | 10 (27%) | - |
| Methotrexate | 53 (73%) | 5 (14%) | - |
| Leflunomide | 13 (18%) | 0 | - |
| Sulfasalazine | 14 (19%) | 0 | - |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 12 (16%) | 0 | - |
| Gold | 3 (4%) | 0 | - |
| Biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) | 36 (49%) | 0 | - |
| Cyclosporin | 1 (1%) | 3 (10%) | - |
| Mycophenolate | 0 | 5 (14%) | - |
| Intravenous immunoglobulin | 0 | 2 (6%)‡ | - |
| Cyclophosphamide | 0 | 6 (17%)‡ | - |
†
N=69
‡
N=36