Baseline demographic and disease characteristics
| Sequential monotherapy (group 1) | Step-up combination therapy (group 2) | Initial combination with prednisone (group 3) | Initial combination with infliximab (group 4) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 54 (13) | 54 (13) | 55 (14) | 54 (14) |
| Women, n (%) | 85 (68) | 87 (72) | 88 (66) | 83 (65) |
| Symptom duration, weeks (median, IQR) | 23 (14–54) | 26 (14–56) | 23 (15–53) | 23 (13–46) |
| IgM rheumatoid factor positive, n (%) | 84 (67) | 77 (64) | 86 (65) | 82 (64) |
| DAS | 4.5 (0.9) | 4.5 (0.8) | 4.4 (0.9) | 4.3 (0.9) |
| HAQ, 0–3 scale | 1.4 (0.7) | 1.4 (0.6) | 1.4 (0.7) | 1.4 (0.7) |
Values are the mean (SD) unless indicated otherwise.
DAS, disease activity score (44 joints); HAQ, health assessment questionnaire.