Baseline characteristics.
| Characteristics | Total, n = 146 | Control Arm 1, n = 46 | Tapering Arm 2, n = 47 | Stopping Arm 3, n = 53 | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs | 56.12 | 55 | 56.77 | 56.51 | 0.773 |
| Female | 56.8 (83) | 52.2 (24) | 57.4 (27) | 60.4 (32) | 0.710 |
| Disease duration, yrs | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 0.330 |
| Remission duration, mos | 18.9 | 18.2 | 18.6 | 22.6 | 0.362 |
| DAS28 | 1.71 | 1.66 | 1.61 | 1.85 | 0.136 |
| RAID | 1.19 | 1.19 | 0.96 | 1.36 | 0.529 |
| Methotrexate use | 79.5 (116) | 80.4 (37) | 76.6 (36) | 81.1 (43) | 0.838 |
| bDMARD use* | 39.0 (57) | 34.8 (16) | 44.7 (21) | 37.7 (20) | 0.602 |
| Glucocorticoid use | 23.3 (34) | 26.1 (12) | 23.4 (11) | 20.8 (11) | 0.822 |
| Other cDMARD use** | 13.7 (20) | 13.0 (6) | 12.8 (6) | 15.1 (8) | 0.933 |
| RF-positive | 56.2 (82) | 45.7 (21) | 66.0 (31) | 56.6 (30) | 0.142 |
| ACPA-positive | 56.2 (82) | 56.5 (26) | 57.4 (27) | 54.7 (29) | 0.961 |
| MBDA-positive | 43.2 (63) | 34.8 (16) | 34.0 (16) | 58.5 (31) | 0.018 |
Data are given as means or % (n). Values in bold face are statistically significant.
↵Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: * tocilizumab, abatacept; ** leflunomide, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine. DAS28: 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (using erythrocyte sedimentation rate); RAID: Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease questionnaire; bDMARD: biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; cDMARD: conventional DMARD; RF: rheumatoid factor; ACPA: anticitrullinated protein antibodies; MBDA: multibiomarker disease activity.