Baseline characteristics of giant cell arteritis study patients.
| Characteristics | TAB+, n = 18 | TAB−, n = 10 | Overall, n = 28 | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 73.2 ± 8.1 | 65.4 ± 8.4 | 70.4 ± 8.9 | 0.024 |
| Female, n (%) | 12 (67) | 5 (50) | 17 (61) | 0.39 |
| Mean BMI, SD, kg/m2 | 29.4 ± 18.1 | 28.1 ± 6.9 | 28.9 ± 15 | 0.83 |
| Mean systolic BP, mm/hg | 134 ± 13.6 | 128 ± 12.4 | 132 ± 13.3 | 0.27 |
| Mean diastolic BP, mm/hg | 73.5 ± 9.5 | 75.3 ± 9.3 | 74.1 ± 9.3 | 0.63 |
| Symptoms, n (%) | ||||
| Fever | 6 (33) | 1 (10) | 7 (25) | 0.51 |
| Weight loss | 8 (44) | 4 (40) | 12 (43) | 0.82 |
| Polymyalgia rheumatica | 8 (44) | 3 (30) | 11 (39) | 0.45 |
| Headache | 13 (72) | 9 (90) | 22 (79) | 0.27 |
| Visual | 7 (39) | 7 (70) | 14 (50) | 0.11 |
| Jaw claudication | 11 (61) | 4 (40) | 15 (54) | 0.28 |
| Scalp tenderness | 13 (72) | 9 (90) | 22 (79) | 0.27 |
| Chest pain | 1 (6) | 0 (0) | 1 (4) | 0.45 |
| Limb claudication | 2 (11) | 0 (0) | 2 (7) | 0.27 |
| Laboratory variables, mean | ||||
| WBC, × 109/l | 10.2 ± 3.7 | 7.8 ± 3.2 | 9.3 ± 3.7 | 0.10 |
| Hemoglobin, g/l | 117 ± 18 | 132 ± 9.7 | 122 ± 17 | 0.022 |
| Platelet, × 109/l | 392 ± 160 | 278 ± 79 | 351 ± 146 | 0.046 |
| ESR, mm/h | 78 ± 42 | 47 ± 36 | 66 ± 42 | 0.06 |
| CRP, mg/l | 112 ± 95 | 35 ± 45 | 84 ± 88 | 0.024 |
| Creatinine, mmol/l | 85 ± 37 | 80 ± 17 | 83 ± 31 | 0.70 |
| Length of biopsy specimen, cm | 2.7 ± 1.0 | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 2.5 ± 1.0 | 0.12 |
| Medications, n (%) | ||||
| Aspirin or clopidogrel | 5 (28) | 2 (20) | 7 (25) | 0.65 |
| Statin | 5 (28) | 1 (10) | 6 (21) | 0.27 |
| Antihypertensive | 8 (44) | 4 (40) | 12 (43) | 0.82 |
| Prednisone | 18 (100) | 10 (100) | 28 (100) | 1.00 |
| Daily dose prednisone, mg | 55.6 ± 12 | 51.5 ± 13 | 54.1 ± 12 | 0.41 |
| Cumulative prednisone, mg | ||||
| Prior to PET/CT | 603 ± 515 | 720 ± 416 | 645 ± 477 | 0.54 |
| Prior to biopsy | 517 ± 438 | 892 ± 807 | 651 ± 610 | 0.12 |
All values presented reflect the mean values ± SD unless otherwise stated. TAB: temporal artery biopsy; BMI: body mass index; BP: blood pressure; WBC: white blood cells; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; PET/CT: positron emission tomography/computerized tomography.