Table 3

Longitudinal distribution of ASDAS disease activity states (%) in NOR-DMARD and ASSERT

Timepoint	n	ASAS partial remission	ASDAS<1.3	1.3≤ASDAS<2.1	2.1≤ASDAS≤3.5	ASDAS>3.5
NOR-DMARD (ASDAS-CRP):
Baseline	442	1.6	1.6	7.2	45.7	45.5
3 Months	310	22.3	23.5	25.8	32.6	18.1
6 Months	192	23.4	20.8	25.0	35.9	18.2
NOR-DMARD (ASDAS-ESR):
Baseline	442	1.6	2.0	11.3	53.2	33.5
3 Months	310	22.3	28.1	30.6	31.0	10.3
6 Months	192	23.4	26.0	27.1	33.9	13.0
ASSERT (ASDAS-CRP):
Baseline	223	0	0	1.3	29.1	69.5
3 Months	219	16.4	19.6	20.5	38.8	21.0
6 Months	219	17.8	23.7	20.5	32.9	22.8
ASSERT (ASDAS-CRP) infliximab vs placebo (χ², p value):
Baseline	166 vs 57	0 vs 0 (NA)	0 vs 0 (NA)	1.2 vs 1.8 (0.1, 0.756)	30.1 vs 26.3 (0.3, 0.586)	68.7 vs 71.9 (0.2, 0.645)
3 Months	163 vs 56	21.5 vs 1.8 (11.8, 0.001)	25.8 vs 1.8 (15.2, <0.001)	26.4 vs 3.6 (13.3, <0.001)	38.7 vs 39.3 (0.01, 0.933)	9.2 vs 55.4 (53.5, <0.001)
6 Months	163 vs 56	23.3 vs 1.8 (13.2, <0.001)	31.9 vs 0 (23.4, <0.001)	23.3 vs 12.5 (3.0, 0.084)	32.5 vs 33.9 (0.04, 0.846)	12.3 vs 53.6 (40.6, <0.001)

ASAS partial remission criteria are fulfilled if the value of the following four domains is below 2 (range 0–10): spinal pain, physical function measured by the BASFI, patient global assessment and inflammation measured as the mean of the last two BASDAI questions (severity and duration of morning stiffness).
ASAS, Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society; ASDAS, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; ASSERT, Ankylosing Spondylitis Study for the Evaluation of Recombinant Infliximab Therapy; BASDAI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BASFI, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; CRP, C reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; NOR-DMARD, Norwegian register of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.