Table 1

Changes in clinical assessments over the first 6 months of treatment

	Placebo						Comparison of groups
	Mean	SEM	Significance	Mean	SEM	Significance	Comparison of groups
	Mean	SEM	( 0–6 month change)	Mean	SEM	(0–6 month change)	(Significance at 6 months)
Changes within groups compared by paired t tests. Changes between groups compared by unpaired t tests.
Swollen joints
Initial	10.2	0.8	NS	10.2	0.7	<0.01	<0.03
6 months	9.3	0.9		7.0	0.6
24 months	6.6	0.9		5.0	0.7

Tender joints
Initial	10.3	1.1	NS	11.5	1.1	<0.02	<0.06
6 months	10.3	1.3		8.5	1.2
24 months	9.6	1.4		9.0	1.3

HAQ
Initial	1.4	0.1	NS	1.7	0.1	<0.02	<0.02
6 months	1.6	0.1		1.4	0.1
24 months	1.5	0.1		1.8	0.3

VAS pain
Initial	46.2	3.9	NS	45.8	3.6	0<0.01	<0.01
6 months	50.7	4.4		40.3	3.9
24 months	46.8	4.6		39.1	4.0

Patients’ global
Initial	49.7	4.2	NS	49.1	3.7	NS	NS
6 months	48.8	4.2		48.2	4.1
24 months	45.2	4.7		47.3	4.6

Physicians’ global
Initial	45.9	3.2	NS	42.3	2.9	NS	NS
6 months	41.1	3.8		36.6	3.2
24 months	37.4	3.8		35.3	3.8

ESR
Initial	34.2	4.5	NS	29.3	3.1	NS	NS
6 months	34.1	4.5		27.0	3.4
24 months	31.3	4.1		30.7	4.2