Baseline characteristics 113 early arthritis patients
| All patients (n=113) | 2010 RA patients (n=53) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean±SD, years | 54.9±15.7 | 55.4±15.5 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 62 (54.9) | 32 (60.4) |
| Symptom duration at inclusion, median (IQR), weeks | 15 (7–32.5) | 16.5 (8.8–33.3) |
| Onset of symptoms, n (%) | ||
| (sub) acute | 47 (43.1) | 20 (38.5) |
| gradual | 61 (56.0) | 32 (61.5) |
| Morning stiffness, median (IQR), minutes | 45 (15–82.5) | 52.5 (15–112.5) |
| Swollen joint count, median (IQR) | 4 (2–7) | 5 (3–10) |
| Tender joint count, median (IQR) | 7 (3–11.5) | 8 (4–15.5) |
| ACPA positivity, n (%) | 40 (35.4) | 35 (66.0) |
| RF positivity, n (%) | 44 (38.9) | 35 (66.0) |
| CRP level, median (IQR) | 6 (3–17.5) | 10 (3–19) |
| ESR level, median (IQR) | 19 (6–34) | 28 (9–41) |
| Patient classification at baseline, n (%) | ||
| RA (2010 ACR/EULAR criteria) | 53 (46.9) | |
| Unclassified arthritis (UA) | 37 (32.7) | |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 11 (9.7) | |
| Inflammatory osteoarthritis | 4 (3.5) | |
| Spondyloarthritis | 3 (2.7) | |
| Other diagnoses | 5 (4.4) | |
| Treatment within the first year, n (%)* | ||
| Methotrexate | 48 (42.5) | 26 (49.1) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 26 (23.0) | 19 (35.8) |
| Prednisolon orally | 17 (15.0) | 13 (24.5) |
| Sulfasalazine | 13 (11.5) | 11 (20.8) |
| Trial medication† | 8 (7.1) | 7 (13.2) |
| Anti-TNF‡ | 2 (1.8) | 2 (3.4) |
| Leflunomide | 2 (1.8) | 1 (1.9) |
| Azathioprine | 1 (0.9) | 1 (1.9) |
| No DMARD | 26 (23) | 4 (7.5) |
| MRI BME, median (IQR) | 5.5 (2.5–11.8) | 6.5 (3.3–15.8) |
| MRI Synovitis, median (IQR) | 4.5 (2.5–7.5) | 5.0 (2.3–8.0) |
| MRI Tenosynovitis, median (IQR) | 2.8 (0.5–5.5) | 3.5 (0.6–5.5) |
| MRI Any inflammation, median (IQR) | 13.0 (7.6–25.5) | 16.8 (8.5–30.1) |
| SHS, median (IQR) | 2.0 (0.0–6.0) | 2.0 (0.0–4.0) |
At patient level, medians (IQR) are shown and missing scores were imputed with the median of non-missing MRI scores of the same feature of the patient. The 66 swollen joint count and 68 tender joint count was assessed.
*The total exceeds100%, as some patients used several DMARDs in the first year.
†Trial medication refers to a double-blind, randomised trial in which patients received tocilizumab and/or methotrexate.
‡One patient received anti-TNF early in the disease in the IMPROVED trial, and the other patient failed methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine, and then received anti-TNF after 353 days.
ACPA, anti-citrullinated-peptide antibodies; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; BME, bone marrow oedema; ACR, American College of Rheumatology; EULAR, The European League Against Rheumatism; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RF, rheumatoid factor; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.