Patient characteristics at baseline and one year (n=42)
| Baseline | One year | |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical features | ||
| Age (y) median (range) | 48.5 (27–75) | |
| Sex F : M | 25 : 17 | |
| Ethnic group | 33 white, 5 Maori, 4 Pacific Island | |
| Seropositive (ever) | 38 (90%) | |
| Symptom duration, median (range) | 4 months (2–6) | 16months (14–18) |
| Medication | ||
| NSAID | 38 (90%) | 25 (60%) |
| DMARD | 21 (50%) | 30 (71%) |
| sulphasalazine (1–3 g/day) | 18 | 16 |
| methotrexate (7.5–17.5 mg/week) | 1 | 10 |
| hydroxychloroquine (400 mg/day) | 2 | 3 |
| penicillamine (375 mg/day) | — | 1 |
| Prednisone (1–10 mg/day) | 5 (12%) | 10 (24%) |
| Disease activity | Median (range) | Median (range) |
| Ritchie index | 13.5 (0–37) | 5.5 (0–25)1-150 |
| Swollen joint count | 14.5 (0–38) | 2 (0–21)** |
| Pain score | 3.3 (0.7–9.3) | 2.3 (0–7.4)1-150 |
| HAQ score | 0.6 (0–1.8) | 0.1 (2–4)1-150 |
| DAS | 4.2 (1.3–7.6) | 1.3 (0.3–2.8)1-150 |
| ESR (mm 1st h) | 29 (10–131) | 16 (1–113)** |
| CRP (mg/l) | 18 (0–150) | 5 (0–147)** |
↵1-150 p<0.05, **p<0.001.