TABLE 1.
Clinical Features of Patients (n = 204)
| Sex, male/female (male %) | 32/172 (15.7) |
| Age, mean ± SD, y | 56.2 ± 12.8 |
| The duration of disease, median (IQR), mo | 51.8 (23.0–94.8) |
| Early RA (duration ≤6 mo), n (%) | 19 (9.3) |
| Laboratory measures | |
| Median levels of RF (n = 141), median (IQR), IU/mL | 33.4 (5.5–125) |
| Median levels of anti-CCP antibodies (n = 66), median (IQR), IU/mL | 66.8 (1.3–280.8) |
| High-titera RF positivity, n/available (%) | 62/141 (44.0) |
| High-titera anti-CCP antibody positivity, n/available (%) | 40/66 (60.6) |
| The most recent CRP level (n = 183), median (IQR), mg/dL | 0.25 (0.08–1.02) |
| The most recent ESR (n = 178), median (IQR), mm/h | 16 (10–29) |
| No. inflamed joints in the US examination | |
| Joints with combined score grade >0, median (IQR) | 2 (1–4) |
| Joints with combined score grade ≥2, median (IQR) | 1 (1–2) |
| Sites displayed the most severe synovitis | |
| Elbow, n (%) | 22 (10.8) |
| Wrist/MCP/PIP, n (%) | 126 (61.8) |
| Knee, n (%) | 38 (18.6) |
| Ankle/MTP, n (%) | 18 (8.8) |
| US score of the most severely inflamed joint | |
| Grade of SH, median (IQR) | 3 (2–3) |
| SH grade ≥2, n (%) | 160 (78.4) |
| Grade of PD, median (IQR) | 1 (1–2) |
| PD grade ≥2, n (%) | 96 (47.1) |
| Combined score, median (IQR) | 3 (2–3) |
| Combined score grade ≥2, n (%) | 40 (80.4) |
| Associated US findings | |
| Any bone erosion, n (%) | 96 (47.1) |
| Joint injection at the examination, n (%) | 30 (14.7) |
| Concurrent medical therapies | |
| NSAIDs, n (%) | 154 (75.5) |
| Glucocorticoids, n (%) | 91 (44.6) |
| MTX, n (%) | 126 (61.8) |
| Conventional DMARDs other than MTX, n (%) | 177 (86.8) |
| biologic DMARDs, n (%)b | 50 (24.5) |
aHigh-positive refers to IU values that are >3 times the upper limit of normal for the assay.
bData from patients using tocilizumab were excluded in this study.
DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; IQR, interquartile range; MTP, metatarsophalangeal; MTX, methotrexate; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.