Baseline characteristics of both groups used for the 8-year radiographic comparison
| Male (%) | Age (years) | Symptom duration (years) | HLA-B27+ (%) | CRP (mg/dl) | BASDAI (0–10) | BASFI (0–10) | mSASSS (0–72) | Mean number of syndesmophytes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aTNF (n=22) | 64% | 39.2±7.6 | 15.8±8.5 | 91% | 2.6±2.0 | 6.2±1.4 | 5.3±1.5 | 13.2±17.6 | 3.6±5.8 |
| HC (n=34) | 85% | 50.0±11.5 | 20.7±5.7 | 65% | 2.0±1.6 | 4.3±1.4 | 3.4±1.5 | 14.2±13.8 | 3.7±1.0 |
| p Value | 0.063 | <0.001 | 0.031 | 0.028 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.254 | 0.157 |
Although there were differences in the clinical characteristics between the cohorts, the radiographic status of both groups was not different at baseline.
aTNF, patients treated with infliximab over 8 years in the DIKAS cohort; BASDAI, Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index; BASFI, Bath ankylosing spondylitis function index; CRP, C reactive protein; HC, patients not treated with anti-TNF from the Herne Cohort; HLA-B27, human leukocyte antigen B27; mSASSS, modified Stokes ankylosing spondylitis spinal score.