Table 2.

Clinical phenotype of B cell–poor versus B cell–rich patients at different RA disease stages^a

	Early RA(n = 143)			TNFi‐IR(n = 155)
	B cell poor (n = 93 [65.0%])	B cell rich (n = 50 [35.0%])	P b	B cell poor (n = 81 [52.3%])	B cell rich (n = 74 [47.7%])	P b
DAS28	5.6 ± 1.38	6.1 ± 1.2	0.005	5.6 ± 1.3	5.7 ± 1.2	NS
Tender joint count	11.3 ± 7.3	13 ± 7.7	NS	12.5 ± 7.9	11.2 ± 7.8	NS
Swollen joint count	7.1 ± 5.4	8.8 ± 5.7	0.048	6.5 ± 5.1	7.4 ± 5.1	NS
Global health score (100‐mm VAS)	60.6 ± 28.6	64.8 ± 25.2	NS	65.2 ± 23.2	66.8 ± 27.3	NS
ESR, mm/hour	34.6 ± 28.9	49.5 ± 28.9	0.001	31.7 ± 24.4	38.3 ± 27.2	NS
CRP, mg/liter	17.5 ± 32.7	21.5 ± 24.2	0.012	19.9 ± 35.9	26.4 ± 26.8	0.001
ACPA positive, %c	59.8	78.4	0.024	73.1	76.4	NS
RF positive, %	62	80.4	0.023	70	72.2	NS
No. of conventional synthetic DMARDs received, %			NA			NS
0	100	100		1.2	4.1
1	0	0		70.4	67.6
2	0	0		21	23
3	0	0		7.4	5.4
Receiving steroids at the time of biopsy, %	0	0	NA	39.7	41.9	NS
Synovitis score	3 ± 1	6 ± 1	<0.0001	2 ± 2	6 ± 2	<0.0001
Semiquantitative CD3 score ≥2, %	6.5	70.8	<0.0001	9.1	90.9	<0.0001
Semiquantitative CD68L score ≥2, %	12.2	46	<0.0001	6.2	93.8	<0.0001
Semiquantitative CD68SL score ≥2, %	24.2	84	<0.0001	17.1	82.9	<0.0001
Semiquantitative CD138 score ≥2, %	4.4	78	<0.0001	9.3	90.7	<0.0001

^aPatients with ungraded synovial biopsy samples were excluded. Except where indicated otherwise, values are the mean ± SD. CD68L = CD68 lining; CD68SL = CD68 sublining (see Table 1 for other definitions).

^bBy Mann‐Whitney test or Fisher's exact test.

^cACPAs were measured using a clinically available standard pathology laboratory anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody 2 assay.