Clinical information for patients with EA, VERA, ERA, and RA. Data are mean ± SD unless otherwise stated.
| Characteristic | Controls, n = 16 | EA, n = 9 | VERA, n = 10 | ERA, n = 11 | RA, n = 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 50 ± 11 | 40 ± 16 | 54 ± 18 | 53 ± 5 | 57 ± 14 |
| Sex (% female) | 69 | 89 | 80 | 82 | 76 |
| Disease duration, yrs | NA | 0.2 ± 0.3 | < 6 weeks | 0.7 ± 0.4 | 11.5 ± 10.6 |
| CRP, mg/dl | ND | 2.5 ± 2.5 | 2.3 ± 2.3 | 2.1 ± 1.8 | 1.4 ± 1.6 |
| ESR, mm/h | ND | 44.1 ± 28.8 | 57.2 ± 36.7 | 47.7 ± 40.0 | 24.2 ± 13.8 |
| DAS28 | NA | 5.4 ± 0.8* | 7.1 ± 0.9 | 5.4 ± 1.2 | 4.5 ± 1.6* |
| RF-positive (%) | ND | 0 | 60 | 55 | 71 |
| Anti-CCP-positive (%) | ND | 0 | 50 | 45 | 65 |
↵* Differences were considered statistically significant for p values < 0.05 in comparison with patients with VERA. VERA: very early rheumatoid arthritis; ERA: early rheumatoid arthritis; RA: rheumatoid arthritis; EA: early arthritis; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; DAS28: 28-joint Disease Activity Score; RF: rheumatoid factor; anti-CCP: anticyclic citrullinated peptide; NA: not applicable; ND: not determined.