Table 1.
Baseline demographics and disease characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis participating in the study.
| Characteristics | Patients receiving TCZ therapy n = 183 |
|---|---|
| Age, yrs, mean (SD) | 59 (10.7) |
| Median, yrs (range) | 59 (31–88) |
| >60 yrs, n (%) | 79 (43.2) |
| Gender, female/male (%) | 161/22 (88/12) |
| Weight, kgr, mean (SD) | 75.1 (15.7) |
| BMI, kgr/m2, mean (SD) | 28.1 (5.2) |
| Duration of RA from TCZ initiation, yrs, mean | 8.7 |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 99 (54.1) |
| Elevated triglycerides | 50 (27.3) |
| Cardiovascular disorders | 68 (37.2) |
| Thyroid disorders | 34 (18.6) |
| Diabetes | 30 (16.4) |
| Hepatic disorders | 10 (5.5) |
| GI perforation or ulceration or diverticulitis | 8 (4.4) |
| Clinical parameters | |
| TJC, (n = 166), mean (SD) | 10.9 (5.8) |
| SJC, (n = 166), mean (SD) | 8.0 (5.9) |
| RF, ACPA, n (%) | |
| Negative | 49 (26.8) |
| At least one positive | 130 (71.0) |
| Unknown | 4 (2.2) |
| DAS28-ESR, (n = 152), mean (SD) | 5.8 (0.9) |
| DAS28-CRP, (n = 122), mean (SD) | 4.8 (0.9) |
| Laboratory parameters, mean value (SD) | |
| ESR, (n = 181), mm/1h | 47.4 (23.8) |
| CRP, (n = 157), mg/dL | 119 (218.7) |
| Previous bDMARD therapies before TCZ initiation, n (%) | |
| 0 | 52 (28.4) |
| 1 | 64 (35.0) |
| 2 | 40 (21.9) |
| 3+ | 27 (14.8) |
SD: standard deviation; BMI: Body mass index; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; TCZ: tocilizumab; GI: gastrointestinal; TJC: tender joint count; SJC: Swollen joint count; RF: rheumatoid factor; ACPA: anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; DAS-28: disease activity score for 28 joint count; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; bDMARDS: biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.