Clinical and laboratory change in the two groups
| Year | Prednisolone n = 84 | Placebo n = 83 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Values are median (range). | ||||||
| *Mann–Whitney U test, p = 0.05 v prednisolone group. All other between-group comparisons non-significant. | ||||||
| HAQ, heath assessment questionnaire. | ||||||
| ESR (mm/h) | 34 (2 to 124) | 12* (1 to 82) | 14 (1 to 102) | 40 (3 to 140) | 18* (1 to 120) | 20 (1 to 112) |
| C reactive protein (mg/l) | 18 (5 to 238) | 10 (4 to 114) | 10 (3 to 120) | 25 (3 to 234) | 10 (1 to 120) | 10 (1 to 98) |
| Pain score | 54 (3 to 100) | 42 (0 to 98) | 47 (0 to 100) | 56 (0 to 100) | 50 (0 to 100) | 46 (0 to 100) |
| Physician global | 2 (0 to 4) | 1 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) | 1 (0 to 4) | 1 (0 to 3) |
| Patient global | 2 (0 to 4) | 1 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) | 2 (0 to 4) |
| Ritchie articular index | 14 (3 to 47) | 7 (0 to 52) | 8 (0 to 60) | 17 (2 to 56) | 8 (0 to 66) | 7 (0 to 73) |
| HAQ | 1.75 (0 to 3) | 1.38 (0 to 2.9) | 1.38 (0 to 3) | 1.63 (0 to 3) | 1.5 (0 to 3) | 1.5 (0 to 2.75) |