Table 1.
Pretreatment characteristics of the patients with rheumatoid arthritisa
| Characteristic | EULAR good responders (n = 42) | EULAR nonresponders (n = 43) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female, no. (%) | 32 (76) | 33 (77) | 0.95 |
| Age at onset, mean ± SD years | 59 ± 15 | 55 ± 14 | 0.28 |
| HAQ score, median (IQR) | 1.18 (0.9–1.7) | 1.0 (0.3–1.6) | 0.07 |
| MTX start dose, median (IQR) mg | 12.5 (10–15) | 10 (10–15) | 0.87 |
| Taking oral steroids, no. (%) | 5 (12) | 12 (27) | 0.07 |
| Disease duration, median (IQR) months | 9.1 (4.2–15.3) | 5.8 (3.1–21.7) | 0.94 |
| Smoking habits, no. never/past/current | 23/11/8 | 16/17/10 | 0.25 |
| ACPA positive, no. (%) | 27 (64) | 25 (58) | 0.56 |
| DAS28, mean ± SD | 4.8 ± 1.0 | 4.0 ± 1.3 | 0.001 |
| CRP, mean ± SD mg/liter | 2.2 ± 1 | 1.7 ± 1 | 0.01 |
| 28‐joint swollen joint count, median (IQR) | 5 (3–11) | 3 (2–8) | 0.02 |
| 28‐joint tender joint count, median (IQR) | 8 (6–15) | 6 (1–13) | 0.05 |
| Patient's assessment of overall well‐being, median (IQR) VAS score | 44 (25–64) | 32 (15–59) | 0.07 |
a
EULAR = European League Against Rheumatism; HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; IQR = interquartile range; MTX = methotrexate; ACPA = anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody; DAS28 = Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; CRP = C‐reactive protein; VAS = 100‐mm visual analog scale.
P values were derived by t‐test, Mann‐Whitney U test, and chi‐square test for comparisons of variables expressed as the mean, median, and number (%), respectively.