Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with RA.
| Characteristics | Patients with RA (n = 32) |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Age, median (IQR), years | 44 (31-59) |
| Sex (F/M) | 25/7 |
| Disease duration, median (IQR), years | 6.1 (5.2-15.0) |
| Disease characteristics | |
| ESR, median (IQR), mm/h | 91.0 (76.6-98.8) |
| CRP, median (IQR), mg/L | 73.3 (52.8-90.7) |
| TJC, median (IQR) | 7 (2-23) |
| SJC, median (IQR) | 7 (1-20) |
| HAQ-DI, median (IQR) | 2.7 (2.2-3.0) |
| Pain VAS, median (IQR), cm | 7.0 (6.0-8.8) |
| DAS28, median (IQR) | 5.6 (5.0-5.9) |
| RF positive, n (%) | 31 (96.9%) |
| ACPA positive, n (%) | 23 (71.9%) |
| Concomitant medications | |
| MTX, n (%) | 15 (46.9) |
| LEF, n (%) | 13 (40.6) |
| SSZ, n (%) | 4 (12.5) |
| HCQ, n (%) | 23 (71.9) |
| NSAIDs, n (%) | 26 (81.3) |
| CS, n (%) | 8 (25.0) |
| Oral prednisone dose (mg/day) | 10 (5-10) |
| Baseline serum levels of cytokines | |
| IFN-γ, median (IQR), pg/mL | 12.5 (8.6-17.2) |
| IL-6, median (IQR), pg/mL | 18.2 (17.2-19.4) |
| IL-17, median (IQR), pg/mL | 25.5 (23.1-26.9) |
| IL-35, median (IQR), pg/mL | 22.4 (15.1-28.0) |
| TNF-α, median (IQR), pg/mL | 16.7 (14.0-19.2) |
Abbreviations: RA: rheumatoid arthritis; IQR: interquartile range; F: female; M: male; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reaction protein; TJC: tender joint count; SJC: swollen joint count; HAQ-DI: Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index; VAS: visual analogue scale; DAS28: disease activity score in 28 joints based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate; RF: rheumatoid factor; ACPAs: anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies; NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; CS: corticosteroid; MTX: methotrexate; LEF: leflunomide; SSZ: sulfasalazine; HCQ: hydroxychloroquine.