Characteristics of patients in ACR/EULAR Boolean remission at 2 years compared with patients missing fulfilment of remission due to PGA and/or tender joints, and patients with either swollen joints or CRP above cut-off*
| ACR/EULAR Boolean remission (ref), n=112 | 44SJC ≤1 & CRP ≤1 +PGA >1 and/or tender joints >1, n=61 | P value for comparison to reference group | 44SJC >1 or CRP >1 (no restrictions on tender joints and PGA), n=29 | P value for comparison to reference group | |
| Age, years | 53.6 (41.1, 63.4) | 53.3 (43, 61.2) | 0.77 | 59.4 (51.9, 64.6) | 0.08 |
| Female, n (%) | 65 (58.0) | 44 (72.1) | 0.07 | 16 (55.2) | 0.78 |
| Positive for ACPA, n (%) | 88 (78.6) | 53 (86.9) | 0.18 | 23.0 (79.3) | 0.93 |
| Positive for RF, n (%) | 74 (66.1) | 43 (70.5) | 0.55 | 22 (75.9) | 0.31 |
| Swollen joint count (0–44) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | 0.0 (0.0, 1.0) | <0.001 | 2.0 (0.0, 4.0) | <0.001 |
| Ritchie Articular Index (0–78) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | 2.0 (0.0, 3.0) | <0.001 | 2.0 (0.0, 5.0) | <0.001 |
| C reactive protein, mg/dL | 0.2 (0.1, 0.4) | 0.3 (0.1, 0.4) | 0.50 | 0.6 (0.4, 1.3) | <0.001 |
| Patient’s global assessment, VAS (0–10)† | 0.3 (0.1, 0.5) | 2.7 (1.6, 4.2) | <0.001 | 2.2 (0.9, 5.0) | <0.001 |
| Physician’s global assessment, VAS (0–10)† | 0.2 (0.1, 0.8) | 0.8 (0.4, 1.2) | <0.001 | 1.8 (0.5, 3.0) | <0.001 |
| PROMIS physical function (12.1–62.5) | 62.5 (50.0, 62.5) | 45.3 (40.2, 50.0) | <0.001 | 44.2 (38.9, 51.2) | <0.001 |
| Fatigue, VAS (0–10)† | 0.4 (0.1, 1.2) | 3.4 (1.7, 5.0) | <0.001 | 1.0 (0.7, 5.5) | <0.001 |
| Ultrasound power Doppler score (0–96) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | 0.75 | 0.0 (0.0, 4.0) | <0.001 |
| Ultrasound Grey Scale score (0–96) | 3.0 (1.0, 5.5) | 3.0 (0.0, 6.0) | 0.69 | 6.0 (4.0, 11.0) | <0.001 |
| MRI RAMRIS synovitis (0–21) | 4.0 (2.0, 5.6) | 4.0 (1.9, 5.0) | 1.00 | 4.1 (2.0, 6.6) | 0.92 |
| MRI RAMRIS bone marrow oedema (0–75) | 1.0 (0.0, 2.7) | 1.0 (0.0, 2.4) | 1.00 | 2.0 (0.0, 3.0) | 0.09 |
| MRI RAMRIS tenosynovitis (0–42) | 1.0 (0.0, 2.6) | 1.0 (0.0, 2.0) | 1.00 | 2.0 (0.0, 5.9) | 0.14 |
| Biologic treatment, n (%) | 16 (14.3) | 23 (37.7) | <0.001 | 10 (34.5) | 0.012 |
| Any intra-articular injections, n (%)‡ | 87 (77.7) | 54 (88.5) | 0.08 | 25 (86.2) | 0.31 |
| Total prednisolone dose (mg)ठ| 607.5 (455.0, 825.0) | 605.0 (435.0, 890.0) | 0.85 | 735.0 (445.0, 1887.5) | 0.11 |
| Any NSAID use, n (%)‡ | 54 (48.2) | 28 (45.9) | 0.77 | 15 (51.7) | 0.74 |
| Patients with adverse events, n (%)‡ | 82 (73.2) | 58 (95.1) | <0.001 | 25 (86.2) | 0.15 |
| Patients with serious adverse events, n (%)‡ | 5 (4.5) | 1 (1.6) | 0.33 | 2 (6.9) | 0.59 |
Values are median (IQR) unless otherwise stated.
*One patient who failed to meet all of the four ACR/EULAR Boolean remission criteria is not included in these comparisons.
†These variables were assessed on a VAS 0–100 mm, but converted to the more commonly used VAS 0–10 mm scale.
‡Over 24 months.
§Cumulative dose per patient.
ACPA, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides; ACR, American College of Rheumatology; CRP, C reactive protein; NSAID, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ; PGA, patient global assessment; PROMIS, Patient reported Outcome Measurement Information Score Short Form v1.0—Physical Function 20a (reported as T-scores); RAMRIS, Rheumatoid Arthritis MRI Scoring System; RF, rheumatoid factor; SJC, swollen joint count; VAS, visual analogue scale.