Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of autoantibody-negative patients, stratified for induction therapy
| iMTX (n = 44) | iHCQ (n = 35) | iGCs (n = 37) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic | |||
| Age, mean (s.d.), years | 56 (14) | 55 (14) | 53 (14) |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 33 (75) | 22 (63) | 26 (70) |
| Disease characteristics | |||
| Symptom duration, median (IQR), days | 137 (85–209) | 140 (101–213) | 124 (94–192) |
| DAS, mean (s.d.) | 3.51 (0.92) | 3.00 (0.85) | 3.57 (0.94) |
| SJC44, median (IQR) | 9 (6–13) | 6 (2–10) | 8 (4–15) |
| Erosive disease, n (%)a | 1 (2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Work-related outcomes | |||
| Paid work, n (%) | 17 (44) | 21 (66) | 20 (61) |
| Working hours per week, mean (s.d.)b | 32 (10) | 29 (15) | 29 (13) |
| Retired, n (%) | 5 (11) | 3 (9) | 4 (11) |
| EQ-5D-3L, mean (s.d.) | 0.61 (0.24) | 0.68 (0.22) | 0.64 (0.24) |
a
Erosive disease is defined as having an erosion score >1 in three separate joints [28].
b
Working hours per week among the working population.
EQ-5D-3L: European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions 3 Levels; iGCs: initial glucocorticoids; iHCQ: initial HCQ; iMTX: initial MTX; IQR: interquartile range; SJC44: swollen joint count (44 joints).