Table 1.
Comparison of baseline patient characteristics between different stages of the flowchart as presented in Fig. 1
| Patient characteristics | N = 241 | N = 196 | N = 152 | N = 98 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 44 (13) | 44 (13) | 45 (13) | 47 (13) |
| Female sex, N (%) | 187 (78) | 152 (77) | 118 (78) | 73 (74) |
| Family history of RA, N (%) | 71 (30) | 52 (27) | 43 (28) | 28 (29) |
| Symptom duration in weeks, median (IQR) | 18 (10–48) | 17 (9–30) | 17 (9–33) | 17 (9–43) |
| Presence of morning stiffness ≥ 60 min, N (%) | 80 (33) | 61 (35) | 49 (32) | 29 (30) |
| 68-TJC, median (IQR) | 6 (3–10) | 6 (2–11) | 6 (2–10) | 5 (2–10) |
| VAS pain score, median (IQR) | 5 (3–7) | 5 (3–7) | 5 (3–7) | 5 (3–6) |
| ≥ 3 items on EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to RA [13], N (%) | 178 (74) | 141 (72) | 100 (66) | 63 (64) |
| Increased CRP (≥ 5 mg/L), N (%) | 53 (22) | 39 (20) | 29 (19) | 19 (19) |
| Autoantibody status | ||||
| Negative for IgM-RF and ACPA, N (%) | 184 (76) | 166 (84) | 125 (82) | 79 (81) |
| ACPA- or RF-positive, N (%) | 57 (24) | 31 (16) | 27 (18) | 19 (19) |
ACPA anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (positive if ≥ 7 U/mL), CRP C-reactive protein, IgM-RF immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor (positive if ≥ 3.5 IU/mL), IQR interquartile range, RA rheumatoid arthritis, SD standard deviation, TJC tender joint count