| Responders (n = 12) | Non-responders (n = 6) | |
| Age (range) | Mean 50 (30–71) | 59 (37–85) |
| Sex (female/male) | 9/3 | 3/3 |
| Disease characteristics (mean): | ||
| CRP (mg/dl) (range) | 28 (3–110) | 13 (5–49) |
| ESR (mean, range) | 35 (2–95) | 38 (8–82) |
| Rheumatoid factor titre (kAU/litre)(range) | 201 (1–516) | 74 (1–213) |
| ACPA titre (kAU/litre) | 1093 (1–4181) | 1384 (1–6264) |
| Disease duration in months | 69 (7–209) | 119 (29–314) |
| Erosions | n = 11 | n = 5 |
| DAS28 | 6.0 (4.7–7.7) | 5.3 (3.7–7.2) |
| Medication (mean): | ||
| Methotrexate dose (mg/week) (range) | 22 (12.5–30.0) | 19 (7.5–30.0) |
| Prednisone (⩽10 mg/day) | n = 5 | n = 0 |
ACPA, anticitrullinated peptide antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS28, 28-joint Disease Activity Score; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.