Baseline characteristics and clinical characteristics of the study population
| Characteristics | SSZ (n = 120) | Placebo* (n = 122) |
|---|---|---|
| HLA, human leucocyte antigen; SSZ, sulfasalazine. | ||
| *Not significantly different from the group receiving SSZ, all p>0.2. | ||
| Men (%) | 57 (47.5) | 60 (49.2) |
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 38.3 (11.4) | 38.8 (11.9) |
| HLA B27 positive (%) | 76/111 (63.3) | 77/118 (63.1) |
| Peripheral arthritis (%) | 57 (47.5) | 57 (46.7) |
| Mean (SD) number of swollen joints (range 0–68), at baseline (in patients with peripheral arthritis) | 5.5 (4.5), n = 52 | 6.1 (4.7), n = 54 |
| Enthesitis (%) | 65 (54.2) | 58 (47.5) |
| Mean (SD) number of enthesitic regions (range 0–12) at baseline (in patients with enthesitis) | 4.3 (3.2), n = 60 | 4.1 (2.8), n = 55 |
| Current occurrence or history of anterior uveitis (%) | 3 (2.5%) | 4 (3.3%) |