| Initial groups | Ciclosporin | Prednisolone | Significance | ||||||||
| Methotrexate (n = 117) | Added ciclosporin (n = 119) | Added prednisone (n = 115) | Triple therapy (n = 116) | Control (n = 232) | Active (n = 235) | Control (n = 236) | Active (n = 231) | Prednisolone | Ciclosporin | Interaction | |
| Cases with new erosions (%) | 34 (29%) | 19 (17%) | 19 (16%) | 15 (13%) | 53 (23%) | 34 (15%) | 53 (23%) | 34 (15%) | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.32 |
| Mean change in Larsen score (SE) | 7.41 (0.99) | 4.53 (0.88) | 4.70 (0.69) | 2.99 (0.51) | 6.07 (0.61) | 3.77 (0.51) | 5.95 (0.67) | 3.83 (0.83) | 0.008 | 0.003 | 0.45 |
| Mean change in HAQ (SE) | −0.29 (0.07) | −0.20 (0.06) | −0.28 (0.07) | −0.50 (0.06) | −0.28 (0.06) | −0.35 (0.06) | −0.25 (0.06) | −0.39 (0.07) | 0.02 | 0.35 | 0.01 |
| Mean change in SF-36 PCS (SE) | 5.8 (1.0) | 3.9 (1.1) | 3.5 (1.0) | 8.0 (1.2) | 4.8 (0.8) | 5.7 (0.8) | 4.6 (0.8) | 6.0 (0.8) | 0.22 | 0.46 | 0.001 |
| Mean change in DAS28 (SE) | −1.42 (0.17) | −1.34 (0.15) | −1.37 (0.15) | −1.67 (0.15) | −1.38 (0.12) | −1.52 (0.11) | −1.39 (0.11) | −1.51 (0.11) | 0.19 | 0.13 | 0.06 |
HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; SF-36 PCS, Short-Form Physical Component Summary; DAS28, Disease Activity Score including a 28-joint count.