Table 1 Patients’ characteristics at baseline, disease activity (DAS28 and EULAR) and treatment responses (EULAR and ACR20/50/70) after 12 months of treatment
Start year
2000/20012002200320042005p Value
Patients’ characteristics
Number273187331534488
Men (%)28282828230.14
Age (years)55 (45–62)55 (47–63)56 (46–65)58 (49–66)58 (48–66)<0.001
Previous DMARDs (n)4 (3–6)4 (3–5)3 (2–4)3 (2–4)3 (2–4)<0.001
Prednisolone (mg/day)10 (5–10)7.5 (5–10)7.5 (5–10)7.5 (5–10)7.5 (5–10)<0.001
    (% of patients)6657514741<0.001
MTX dosage (mg/wk)12.5 (7.5–15)15 (10–20)15 (10–20)17.5 (12.5–20)20 (12.5–25)<0.001
    (% of patients)8182687271<0.001
Infliximab/etanercept/adalimumab/other (%)87/13/0/095/2/3/049/23/25/336/31/33/034/18/46/2<0.001
Disease activity score
Number231167278485466
DAS28 at baseline5.9 (5.0–6.6)5.7 (4.9–6.5)5.4 (4.5–6.2)5.3 (4.6–6.1)5.3 (4.5–6.0)<0.001
DAS28 at 12 months4.1 (2.9–4.9)3.8 (2.9–4.6)3.2 (2.4–4.2)3.1 (2.2–4.2)3.1 (2.1–3.8)<0.001
DAS28 improvement1.8 (0.6–2.6)1.7 (0.8–2.5)1.9 (0.7–3.0)2.0 (0.9–3.1)2.2 (1.1–3.1)<0.001
Baseline EULAR
High disease activity (%)7169565756<0.001
Moderate disease activity (%)2425373738<0.001
Low disease activity (%)234440.32
Remission (%)233220.86
12 months EULAR
Number186110204342301
High disease activity (%)17181288<0.001
Moderate disease activity (%)5350353734<0.001
Low disease activity (%)13172518190.21
Remission (%)1715273738<0.001
12 months EULAR response
Number159102174321290
Good response (%)2828444650<0.001
Moderate response (%)43492832340.007
No response (%)29232821160.001
12 months LUNDEX-corrected EULAR
Number213161255452414
Good response (%)2118303335<0.001
Moderate response (%)32311923240.01
No response (%)47515144410.03
ACR response
Number158103175312278
ACR20 (%)5350616569<0.001
ACR50 (%)3130444551<0.001
ACR70 (%)1313212530<0.001
LUNDEX-corrected ACR response
Number204158239426378
ACR20 (%)3931424648<0.001
ACR50 (%)2319303236<0.001
ACR70 (%)98151821<0.001
  • Values are medians with 25th and 75th centiles in parentheses (continuous variables). p Value, Cochran–Armitage test for trend for dichotomous variables, Jonckheere–Terpstra test for trend for continuous variables.

  • ACR, American College of Rheumatology; ACR20, 20% response criteria; ACR50, 50% response criteria; ACR70, 70% response criteria; DAS28, Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint count and C-reactive protein (http://www.das-score.nl (accessed 7 April 2008)); DAS28 improvement, difference in DAS28 score at baseline and after 12 months of treatment; DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; EULAR, European League Against Rheumatism; LUNDEX, (fraction of starters still in the study after 12 months) × (fraction responding at 12 months); MTX, methotrexate.