Patient characteristics stratified according to therapy. Results are given as mean (SD), except where indicated.
| Characteristics | TNF-α Inhibitor Therapy, n = 23 | Standard Therapy, n = 27 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male:female) | 18:5 | 25:2 | NS |
| Age, yrs | 40.4 (12.1) | 40.3 (13.4) | NS |
| Disease duration, yrs | 18.2 (11.4) | 15 (10) | NS |
| BASDAI (0–10) | 5.1 (2.0) | 5.0 (2.3) | NS |
| BASFI (0–10) | 4.7 (2.3) | 3.2 (2.8) | 0.046 |
| Patient global (0–10) | 5.2 (2.7) | 4.5 (2.9) | NS |
| Total back pain (0–10) | 5.6 (2.8) | 5.1 (2.4) | NS |
| Nocturnal back pain (0–10) | 5.7 (2.7) | 4.6 (2.5) | NS |
| C-reactive protein (mg/dl) | 15.8 (15.1) | 8.3 (13.4) | NS |
| No. new syndesmophytes | 0.52 (0.8) | 0.70 (1.4) | NS |
| Baseline mSASSS | 14.5 (16.1) | 10.0 (12.1) | NS |
| mSASSS change | 1.4 (1.9) | 1.5 (3.1) | NS |
TNF: tumor necrosis factor; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BASFI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; mSASSS: modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score.