Demographics and baseline clinical characteristics of study population
| Characteristic* | Abatacept 2 mg/kg+etanercept (n = 85) | Placebo+etanercept(n = 36) |
|---|---|---|
| CRP, C reactive protein; mHAQ, modified Health Assessment Questionnaire. | ||
| All patients received etanercept 25 mg twice weekly. | ||
| *Values are mean (SD), unless otherwise mentioned. | ||
| †68 joints were assessed for tenderness. | ||
| ‡66 joints were assessed for swelling. | ||
| §Reference range 0–0.4 mg/dl. | ||
| Mean (years) age (range) | 49.8 (23–73) | 54.3 (28–71) |
| Women (%) | 78 | 72 |
| Caucasian (%) | 94 | 100 |
| Disease duration (years) | 13 (10.1) | 12.8 (8.6) |
| Tender joint count† (n) | 28.7 (14) | 29.2 (13.2) |
| Swollen joint count‡ (n) | 19.6 (9.4) | 20.1 (10.5) |
| Physical function,mHAQ score 0–3 | 1 (0.5) | 0.9 (0.5) |
| CRP level (mg/dl)§ | 2 (2.7) | 2.4 (4.3) |
| Normal CRP level (%)(<2 mg/dl) | 67 | 66.7 |