Global treatment efficacy during the tocilizumab and prednisone periods
| Median, IQR | Week 0 | Week 2 | Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 12 | p Value Week 0 vs week 12 | Week 16 | Week 20 | Week 24 | p Value Week 12 vs week 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMR-AS | 36.6 (30.4–43.8) | 19.7 (14.9–27.7) | 11.0 (7.9–19.3) | 5.8 (3.7–11.6) | 4.5 (3.2–6.8) | <0.001* | 1.4 (0.9–3.2) | 1.5 (0.5–2.4) | 0.9 (0.4–2.0) | <0.001* |
| CRP, mg/dL | 65.1 (21.6–127.8) | 0.5 (0.3–1.4) | 0.6 (0.3–3.5) | 0.6 (0.2–1.2) | 0.2 (0.1–1.0) | <0.001* | 1.5 (0.9–4.6) | 2.5 (0.2–6.3) | 2.3 (0.9–6.5) | 0.004* |
| ESR, mm/h | 51.0 (34.0–79.5) | 7.5 (4.0–9.5) | 5.0 (4.0–10.0) | 4.5 (2.0–5.0 | 2.00 (2.0–4.5) | <0.001* | 4.5 (3.0–10.5) | 5.0 (3.0–14.5) | 7.0 (3.5–12.0) | 0.001* |
| Patient VAS for pain | 6.4 (4.6–7.8) | 5.4 (3.8–6.9) | 4.5 (3.2–5.4) | 2.2 (1.5–4.2) | 1.7 (0.6–2.7) | <0.001* | 0.6 (0.1–1.7) | 0.4 (0.2–1.3) | 0.1 (0.1–0.7) | 0.001* |
| Patient VAS for fatigue | 5.4 (2.9–6.9) | 5.3 (3.0–6.2) | 4.5 (2.0–5.1) | 2.8 (1.0–4.8) | 2.1 (0.7–4.4) | <0.001* | 0.8 (0.3–1.9) | 0.4 (0.2–2.2) | 0.2 (0.1–1.0) | <0.001* |
| Patient VAS for disease activity | 6.6 (4.8–7.5) | 5.45 (3.8–6.9) | 4.5 (3.1–5.4) | 2.2 (1.5–4.2) | 2.0 (0.9–3.6) | <0.001* | 0.6 (0.1–1.7) | 0.4 (0.2–1.3) | 0.2 (0.1–1.2) | <0.001* |
| Physician VAS for disease activity | 6.8 (6.0–7.9) | 4.4 (2.8–6.6) | 2.7 (1.7–4.5) | 2.1 (0.5–3.1) | 1.1 (0.8–1.8) | <0.001* | 0.3 (0.0–0.8) | 0.1 (0.0–0.2) | 0.0 (0.0–0.2) | 0.001* |
| MST (min) | 180.0 (75.0–180.0) | 60.0 (60.0–120.0) | 30.0 (7.50–60.0) | 5.0 (0.0–22.5) | 4.0 (0.0–10.0) | <0.001* | 0.0 (0.0–1.5) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.0 (0.0–0.5) | 0.012* |
| EUL | 0.5 (0.0–2.0) | 0.0 (0.0–2.0) | 0.0 (0.0–1.0) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.002* | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.500* |
| 0 | 10 (50.0%) | 11 (55.0%) | 13 (65.0%) | 17 (85.0%) | 18 (90.0%) | 20 (100%) | 20 (100%) | 20 (100.0%) | ||
| 1 | 2 (10.0%) | 3 (15.0%) | 4 (20.0%) | 2 (10.0%) | 2 (10.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| 2 | 8 (40.0%) | 6 (30.0%) | 3 (15.0%) | 1 (5.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| 3 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| PMR-AS (ESR) | 35.6 (30.4–39.9) | 20.8 (15.3–29.4) | 13.7 (9.3–22.0) | 5.8 (3.5–11.8) | 4.7 (3.5–6.6) | <0.001* | 1.9 (1.3–3.6) | 1.9 (0.7–2.9) | 1.5 (0.7–2.9) | <0.001* |
| SF-36 | ||||||||||
| MCS | 39.6 (35.4–50.7) | 40.8 (35.7–51.0) | 45.0 (35.7–53.0) | 42.8 (38.2–55.6) | 47.7 (38.5–56.1) | 0.058* | 52.1 (45.3–56.1) | 52.9 (46.2–55.6) | 53.1 (48.0–55.2) | 0.055* |
| PCS | 27.2 (22.4–32.6) | 30.3 (27.4–35.0) | 34.3 (28.8–36.8) | 35.5 (32.6–43.1) | 40.6 (34.7–50.1) | <0.001* | 50.8 (43.7–53.8) | 48.2 (46.0–54.7) | 48.7 (42.6–53.6) | 0.016* |
*p Value was calculated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired data and the McNemar test for categorical variables.
CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; EUL, 0–3 scale for elevation of the upper limbs; MCS, mental component summary of the SF36; MST, morning stiffness; PCS, physical component summary of the SF36; PMR-AS, polymyalgia rheumatica activity score; SF36, short-form 36 quality-of-life questionnaire; VAS, 0–10 visual analogue scale.