Table 2:
Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Improved Damage, New or Worsened Damage, or No Angiographic Change
| Improved n = 9 |
New/worsened n = 7 |
No change N = 54 |
p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disease duration at baseline (years, IQR) | 0.4 (0.1–2.8) | 1.5 (0.6–3.6) | 1.5 (0.4–5.1) | 0.19 |
| Follow-up duration (years, IQR) | 1.5 (1.0–2.7) | 1.9 (1.5–4.3) | 1.6 (1.0–2.7) | 0.52 |
| LVV type | GCA=3 TAK=6 |
GCA=0 TAK=7 |
GCA=29 TAK=25 |
0.02 |
| Clinical activity Active at any point during the study Persistent remission |
9 (100%) 0 (0%) |
7 (100%) 0 (0%) |
25 (46%) 29 (54%) |
<0.01 |
| CRP Baseline (mg/L, IQR) Follow-up (mg/L, IQR) |
1.8 (0.7–28) 0.4 (0.2–0.9) |
13.4 (5.1–49) 6.1 (4–20) |
4.2 (1–11) 0.6 (0.2–2) |
0.20 0.02 |
| CRP Elevated (>10mg/L) during the study Persistently normal |
3 (33%) 6 (67%) |
5 (71%) 2 (29%) |
17 (31%) 37 (69%) |
0.11 |
| Baseline PET global interpretation (active, %) | 7 (78%) | 5 (71%) | 40 (77%) | 0.96 |
| Baseline PETVAS (median, IQR) | 17 (11–26) | 17 (10–21) | 18 (14–24) | 0.95 |
| Follow-up PET global interpretation (active, %) | 5 (56%) | 3 (43%) | 28 (52%) | 0.87 |
| PET global interpretation Active at any point during the study Persistently inactive |
7 (78%) 2 (22%) |
6 (86%) 1 (14%) |
44 (81%) 10 (19%) |
0.92 |
| Treatment | ||||
| Median prednisone Baseline (mg/day, IQR) Follow-up (mg/day, IQR) |
15 (0–50) 0 (0–6) |
2 (0–30) 0 (0–20) |
5 (0–16) 0 (0–5) |
0.55 0.35 |
| Conventional DMARDa Baseline Follow-up |
4 (44%) 4 (44%) |
3 (43%) 5 (71%) |
23 (43%) 23 (43%) |
0.99 0.35 |
| Biologic DMARDb Baseline Follow-up |
2 (22%) 8 (89%) |
4 (57%) 4 (57%) |
10 (19%) 27 (50%) |
0.07 0.09 |
LVV=large-vessel vasculitis; CRP=C-reactive protein; PETVAS=PET Vascular Activity Score(12)
a
At baseline, the most commonly used conventional DMARDs were methotrexate (TAK=12, GCA=10) and mycophenolate mofetil (TAK=6, GCA=0). At follow up, the most commonly used conventional DMARDs were methotrexate (TAK=14, GCA=3) and mycophenolate mofetil (TAK=6, GCA=1).
b
At baseline, and the most commonly used biologic DMARDs were tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TAK=6, GCA=0) or tocilizumab (TAK=2, GCA=1). At follow up, the most commonly used biologic DMARDs were tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TAK=10, GCA=0) or tocilizumab (TAK=9, GCA=20).