Table 1.
Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and autophagy expression at baseline
| TNF-α inhibitors (n = 28) | IL-6R inhibitor (n = 32) | csDMARDs alone (n = 12) | HC (n = 20) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (years) | 56.7 ± 12.1 | 55.5 ± 14.1 | 58.1 ± 14.3 | 53.3 ± 11.4 |
| Female (%) | 22 (78.6%) | 24 (75.0%) | 10 (83.3%) | 15 (75.0%) |
| RF positivity (%) | 22 (78.6%) | 20 (62.5%) | 8 (66.7%) | NA |
| ACPA positivity (%) | 19 (67.9%) | 18 (56.3%) | 7 (58.3%) | NA |
| ESR (mm/first hour) | 44.4 ± 30.0* | 35.8 ± 21.8 | 30.5 ± 22.6 | NA |
| CRP (mg/dl) | 2.3 ± 2.5* | 2.0 ± 2.3 | 1.3 ± 1.4 | NA |
| DAS28 at baseline | 5.89 ± 0.59* | 5.95 ± 0.70* | 4.80 ± 0.71 | NA |
| Daily steroid dose (mg) | 6.3 ± 1.6 | 6.5 ± 1.5 | 5.6 ± 1.9 | NA |
| Baseline csDMARDs | ||||
| MTX + SSZ + HCQ | 23 (82.1%) | 26 (81.3%) | 10 (83.4%) | NA |
| SSZ + HCQ + Cyc | 2 (7.1%) | 3 (9.4%) | 1 (8.3%) | NA |
| MTX + SSZ | 1 (3.6%) | 1 (3.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | NA |
| MTX + SSZ + Cyc | 1 (3.6%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (8.3%) | NA |
| MTX+ SSZ + HCQ + Cyc | 1 (3.6%) | 2 (6.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | NA |
Abbreviations: ACPA Anticitrullinated peptide antibodies, CRP C-reactive protein, csDMARDs Conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, Cyc Cyclosporine, DAS28 Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, HCQ Hydroxychloroquine, IL-6R Interleukin-6 receptor, MTX Methotrexate, NA Not applicable, RF Rheumatoid factor, SSZ Sulfasalazine, TNF-α Tumor necrosis factor-α
Data are presented as mean ± SD, number (percent), or median (25th–75th quartiles)
*p < 0.05 vs. HC by Mann-Whitney U test for between-group comparison of numerical variables