Associations between smoking and clinical and laboratory findings in patients with RA (n=59)
| Non-smokers (n=47) | Smokers (n=12) | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study cohort | |||
| Sex (female/male) | 39/8 | 8/4 | NS |
| Age (y) | 59 (46–69) | 62 (53–67) | NS |
| Disease duration (y) | 10 (5–16) | 4 (2–15) | NS |
| Laboratory findings | |||
| RF by nephelometry (IU/ml) | 78 (31–161) | 358 (177–555) | p=0.023 |
| IgA RF by ELISA (AU/ml) | 11 (6–31) | 73 (23–165) | p=0.017 |
| IgM RF by ELISA (AU/ml) | 11 (9–41) | 62 (15–135) | NS |
| CRP (mg/1) | 8 (2–17) | 11 (6–26) | NS |
| Clinical findings | |||
| HAQ score1-150 | 0.8 (0.4–1.9) | 0.4 (0.1–1.2) | NS |
| DAS score† | 4.3 (3.1–5.4) | 4.5 (3.8–4.8) | NS |
| Larsen score | 39 (24–70) | 45 (31–70) | NS |
| Rheumatoid nodules | 11% | 17% | NS |
↵1-150 HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire. †DAS: Disease Activity Score.