Baseline clinical and demographic parameters of the study population*
| Parameters | Healthy controls (n=45) | Patients with RA (n=49) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 51.6±7.6 | 53.1±12.8 |
| Female/male (n) | 32/13 | 37/12 |
| Smoking habit (%) | 36.4 | 53.1 |
| Disease duration (months) | NA† | 4.0±3.4 |
| NSAID use (%) | NA | 72.9 |
| RF positive (%) | ND‡ | 75.5 |
| Anti-CCP positive (%) | ND | 69.4 |
| DAS28 | NA | 4.6±1.3 |
| TJC (n) | NA | 6.5±4.9 |
| SJC (n) | NA | 5.8±4.7 |
| CRP (mg/dl) | ND | 2.4±3.9 |
| ESR (mm/h) | ND | 31.5±33.3 |
| Interleukin 22 (pg/ml) | 3.3±1.4 | 15.1±15.9 |
↵* Data are shown as the mean±SD or absolute numbers.
↵† NA, not applicable.
↵‡ ND, not determined.
anti-CCP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS28, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RF, rheumatoid factor; SJC, swollen joint count; TJC, tender joint count.