Table 1.
Cohort characteristics
| Healthy control subjects (n = 32) | Pregnant patients with RA (n = 252) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age at delivery in years (SD) | 32.1 (4.4) | 32.8 (3.7) | ||||||
| Median disease duration in years at first visit (range) | 4.9 (0.2-28.6) | |||||||
| ACPA-positive patients, n (%) | 153/252 (61) | |||||||
| RF-positive patients, n (%) | 161/239 (67) | |||||||
| ACPA- and/or RF-positive patients, n (%) | 181/252 (72) | |||||||
| Erosive disease, n (%) | 150/246 (61) | |||||||
| Response during pregnancya, n (%) | 56/120 (47) | |||||||
| Flare during post-partum period, n (%) | 69/223 (31) | |||||||
| Per time point | Pre-conception | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | 6 Weeks post-partum | 12 Weeks post-partum | 26 Weeks post-partum | |
| DAS28, mean (SD) | 3.6 (1.1) | 3.6 (1.1) | 3.6 (1.1) | 3.3 (1.1) | 3.3 (1.1) | 3.6 (1.2) | 3.4 (1.1) | |
| Use of prednisone, n (%) | 37/121 (31) | 79/223 (35) | 86/234 (37) | 81/239 (34) | 84/240 (35) | 87/242 (36) | 78/242 (32) | |
| Use of sulphasalazine, n (%) | 41/121 (34) | 62/223 (28) | 64/234 (27) | 61/239 (26) | 60/240 (25) | 72/242 (30) | 70/242 (29) | |
| Use of hydroxychloroquine, n (%) | 9/121 (7) | 5/223 (2) | 5/234 (2) | 4/239 (2) | 9/240 (4) | 18/242 (7) | 17/242 (7) | |
| Use of methotrexate, n (%) | 0/121 (0) | 0/223 (0) | 0/234 (0) | 0/239 (0) | 34/240 (14) | 59/242 (24) | 74/242 (31) | |
| Use of leflunomide, n (%) | 0/121 (0) | 0/223 (0) | 0/234 (0) | 0/239 (0) | 0/240 (0) | 3/242 (1) | 4/242 (2) | |
| Use of TNF inhibitors, n (%) | 5/121 (4) | 0/223 (0) | 0/234 (0) | 0/239 (0) | 13/240 (5) | 23/242 (10) | 29/242 (12) |
Abbreviations: ACPA Anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies, DAS28 Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, RA Rheumatoid arthritis, RF Rheumatoid factor, TNF Tumour necrosis factor
aThe European League Against Rheumatism response criteria require a DAS28 > 3.2 at baseline