Clinical and demographic characteristics of 35 MTX-naive patients with chronic RA divided on whether they received glucocorticoid (+GC) or not (–GC).
| Characteristic | −GC | +GC | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 19 | 16 | |
| Adiponectin, mg/l | 10.1 ± 4.4 | 13.0 ± 5.9 | 0.10 |
| Age, yrs | 52.5 ± 11.6 | 58.0 ± 12.8 | 0.19 |
| Sex F/M | 14/5 | 12/4 | |
| Disease duration, yrs | 13.1 ± 13.5 | 12.4 ± 9.8 | 0.86 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.7 ± 4.0 | 25.0 ± 3.7 | 0.32 |
| IgM RF-positive, % | 68 | 88 | |
| CRP, nmol/l | 246 ± 201 | 236 ± 197 | 0.89 |
| NTJ, max 40 | 5.9 ± 5.2 | 14.1 ± 10.1 | 0.007 |
| NSJ, max 38 | 5.7 ± 5.5 | 7.4 ± 7.5 | 0.45 |
| HAQ (0–3) | 0.5 ± 0.4 | 1.1 ± 0.6 | 0.001 |
BMI: body mass index; RF: rheumatoid factor; CRP: C-reactive protein; NTJ: number of tender joints; NSJ: number of swollen joints; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire.