Baseline characteristics of the ankylosing spondylitis (AS) study population. Values are mean ± SD or median (range) unless otherwise indicated.
| Characteristic | Total | Male | Female | p* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | 92 | 68 | 24 | — |
| Age, yrs | 41.2 ± 9.9 | 42.5 ± 10.4 | 37.9 ± 7.5 | 0.053 |
| Duration of symptoms, yrs | 16 (2–41) | 16 (2–41) | 14 (3–36) | 0.690 |
| Time since diagnosis, yrs | 9 (0–37) | 9 (0–37) | 9 (0–26) | 0.685 |
| HLA-B27+ (%) | 76 (83) | 55 (81) | 21 (86) | 0.501 |
| History of IBD (%) | 4 (4) | 3 (4) | 1 (4) | 1.000 |
| History of uveitis (%) | 29 (32) | 22 (32) | 7 (29) | 0.773 |
| History of psoriasis (%) | 4 (4) | 4 (6) | 0 (0) | 0.570 |
| Peripheral arthritis (%) | 21 (23) | 15 (22) | 6 (25) | 0.782 |
| Concomitant NSAID use (%) | 81 (88) | 59 (87) | 22 (92) | 0.722 |
| Concomitant DMARD use (%) | 20 (22) | 14 (21) | 6 (25) | 0.652 |
| BASDAI (range 0–10) | 6.2 ± 1.8 | 6.0 ± 1.7 | 6.8 ± 1.8 | 0.048 |
| ESR, mm/h | 21 (2–101) | 19 (2–101) | 27 (5–67) | 0.294 |
| CRP, mg/l | 15 (2–99) | 15 (2–99) | 12 (2–55) | 0.800 |
| ASDAS | 3.8 ± 0.8 | 3.8 ± 0.9 | 4.1 ± 0.5 | 0.174 |
| Physician GDA (range 0–10) | 6 (1–9) | 6 (1–9) | 7 (1–8) | 0.516 |
| Patient GDA (range 0–10) | 7 (1–10) | 7 (1–10) | 8 (2–10) | 0.034 |
| BASFI (range 0–10) | 5.9 ± 2.0 | 6.0 ± 2.0 | 5.7 ± 2.2 | 0.567 |
| MMP-3, ng/ml | 10.8 (1.8–47.5) | 13.6 (4.3–47.5) | 5.9 (1.8–26.2) | 0.000 |
↵* Male compared to female patients. IBD: inflammatory bowel disease; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; ASDAS: Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; GDA: global disease activity; BASFI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; MMP-3: matrix metalloproteinase-3.