Start year | ||||||
2000/2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | p Value | |
Patients’ characteristics | ||||||
Number | 273 | 187 | 331 | 534 | 488 | |
Men (%) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 0.14 |
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) | 66 | 57 | 51 | 47 | 41 | <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) | 81 | 82 | 68 | 72 | 71 | <0.001 |
Infliximab/etanercept/adalimumab/other (%) | 87/13/0/0 | 95/2/3/0 | 49/23/25/3 | 36/31/33/0 | 34/18/46/2 | <0.001 |
Disease activity score | ||||||
Number | 231 | 167 | 278 | 485 | 466 | |
DAS28 at baseline | 5.9 (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 months | 4.1 (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 improvement | 1.8 (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 (%) | 71 | 69 | 56 | 57 | 56 | <0.001 |
Moderate disease activity (%) | 24 | 25 | 37 | 37 | 38 | <0.001 |
Low disease activity (%) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0.32 |
Remission (%) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0.86 |
12 months EULAR | ||||||
Number | 186 | 110 | 204 | 342 | 301 | |
High disease activity (%) | 17 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 8 | <0.001 |
Moderate disease activity (%) | 53 | 50 | 35 | 37 | 34 | <0.001 |
Low disease activity (%) | 13 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 19 | 0.21 |
Remission (%) | 17 | 15 | 27 | 37 | 38 | <0.001 |
12 months EULAR response | ||||||
Number | 159 | 102 | 174 | 321 | 290 | |
Good response (%) | 28 | 28 | 44 | 46 | 50 | <0.001 |
Moderate response (%) | 43 | 49 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 0.007 |
No response (%) | 29 | 23 | 28 | 21 | 16 | 0.001 |
12 months LUNDEX-corrected EULAR | ||||||
Number | 213 | 161 | 255 | 452 | 414 | |
Good response (%) | 21 | 18 | 30 | 33 | 35 | <0.001 |
Moderate response (%) | 32 | 31 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 0.01 |
No response (%) | 47 | 51 | 51 | 44 | 41 | 0.03 |
ACR response | ||||||
Number | 158 | 103 | 175 | 312 | 278 | |
ACR20 (%) | 53 | 50 | 61 | 65 | 69 | <0.001 |
ACR50 (%) | 31 | 30 | 44 | 45 | 51 | <0.001 |
ACR70 (%) | 13 | 13 | 21 | 25 | 30 | <0.001 |
LUNDEX-corrected ACR response | ||||||
Number | 204 | 158 | 239 | 426 | 378 | |
ACR20 (%) | 39 | 31 | 42 | 46 | 48 | <0.001 |
ACR50 (%) | 23 | 19 | 30 | 32 | 36 | <0.001 |
ACR70 (%) | 9 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 21 | <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.