Baseline characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) starting treatment with methotrexate (MTX) or MTX and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor in combination. Except where indicated otherwise, values are mean ± SD.
| Characteristics | MTX, n = 34 | MTX + TNF-α Inhibitor, n = 21 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 56 ± 11 | 58 ± 8 | 0.482 |
| Women, n (%) | 25 (71) | 15 (71) | 1.000 |
| RDD, yrs | 3 ± 6 | 9 ± 9 | 0.009 |
| Erosive arthritis, n (%) | 12 (35) | 15 (71) | 0.013 |
| EAM, n (%) | 2 (6) | 1 (5) | 1.000 |
| SGC, n (%) | 8 (24) | 6 (29) | 0.755 |
| ACPA, n (%) | 17 (50) | 18 (86) | 0.007 |
| DAS28 (ESR) | 5.1 ± 1.0 | 4.8 ± 1.2 | 0.239 |
| VAS pain, mm | 55 ± 22 | 53 ± 25 | 0.735 |
| VAS fatigue, mm | 45 ± 28 | 57 ± 24 | 0.089 |
| HAQ | 0.6 ± 0.4 | 0.7 ± 0.4 | 0.368 |
| VAS global, mm | 52 ± 20 | 53 ± 23 | 0.956 |
| ESR, mm/h | 26 ± 22 | 18 ± 14 | 0.119 |
| CRP, mg/l | 15 ± 16 | 13 ± 18 | 0.682 |
| WBC, × 109 U/l | 7.1 ± 1.4 | 7.2 ± 2.0 | 0.853 |
| Neutrophils, × 109 U/l | 4.2 ± 1.3 | 4.3 ± 1.5 | 0.794 |
| ACPA, U/ml | 103 ± 119 | 191 ± 98 | 0.004 |
| IgM RF, U/ml | 148 ± 190 | 211 ± 226 | 0.298 |
| COMP, ng/ml | 201 ± 63 | 317 ± 117 | 0.001 |
RDD: rheumatoid disease duration; EAM: extraarticular manifestations; SGC: systemic glucocorticosteroids; ACPA: anticitrullinated peptide antibody; DAS28: 28-joint Disease Activity Score; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire score; VAS: visual analog scale; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; WBC: white blood cells; IgM RF: rheumatoid factor immunoglobulin type M; COMP: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein.