Table 1

Characteristics at baseline of the ASSERT, the GO–RAISE and the combined datasets

Variables at baselineASSERTGO–RAISECombined
N279356635
Male (%)80.671.675.6
Age (years)39.8±10.239.3±12.139.5±11.3
BASDAI score6.4±1.66.7±1.56.6±1.5
BASFI score5.8±2.05.1±2.45.4±2.2
BASMI score4.0±2.13.5±2.23.7±2.1
Cervical rotation (°)45.8±21.948.8±20.347.5±21.0
Intermalleolar distance (cm)95.3±30.6100.8±24.898.3±27.7
Lateral flexion (cm)11.2±11.011.0±5.811.1±8.5
Tragus to wall distance (cm)17.0±6.314.2±5.715.4±6.1
CRP (mg/dl)2.4±2.71.8±2.02.1±2.4
Enthesitis, presence of (%)63.363.763.5
HLA-B27 positive (%)87.183.485.0
PGA (cm)6.8±1.87.0±1.86.9±1.8
Concomitant medications for placebo patients
 NSAID (%)90.792.3
 Methotrexate (%) (mean dose (mg/week))19.2 (14.2)
 Sulphasalazine (%) (mean dose (g/day))30.8 (1.8)
 Oral corticosteroids (%) (mean dose (mg/day))16.7 (7.2)
 Anti-inflammatory/antirheumatic drugs (%)38.5
  • Values are mean±SD for continuous variables or percentages for categorical variables unless otherwise specified.

    BASDAI, Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index; BASFI, Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index; BASMI, Bath ankylosing spondylitis metrology index; CRP, C-reactive protein; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PGA, patient global assessment.