Rituximab Downregulates Gene Expression Associated with Cell Proliferation, Survival, and Proteolysis in the Peripheral Blood from Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Link between High Baseline Autophagy-Related ULK1 Expression and Improved Pain Control

Table 3

Clinical, immunological, and radiological parameters at baseline and after one cycle of RTX treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients ().

Patients	At baseline; (); Ме  25; 75	After one cycle of RTX treatment; (); Ме  25; 75	(Wilcoxon matched pairs test)
RF, mU/L; (range)	282.5 143.5; 455; (9.5–1980)	172 96.5; 538.5; (9.5–541.8)	0.67
ACPA, U/mL; (range)	200 111.6; 332.2; (46.2–3016.1)	328.5 121.2; 501; (0.1–501)	0.54
CRP, mg/mL; (range)	27.1 11.6; 44.1; (5.9–154)	7.9 5.6; 20.2; (0.4–38.9)	0.01
ESR, mm; (range)	45 35.5; 62.5; (8–87)	21 16.5; 36; (5–56)	0.001
DAS 28; (range)	6.3 5.7; 7.1; (4.2–7.6)	3.5 2.7; 4.5; (1.3–6.44)	0.0001
Δ DAS 28; (range)		2.6 1.2; 3.7; (1.2–5.0)
Stiffness; (range)	135 45; 210; (0–240)	7.5 0; 35; (0–120)	0.001
Number of swollen joints; (range)	7 2.5; 10.5; (2–15)	1 0.5; 4; (0–8)	0.001
Number of tender joints; (range)	16.0 10; 23.5; (4–26)	2 1; 7; (0–28)	0.001
Erosion number; (range)	7 0; 22; (0–24)	6 0; 22; (0–23)	0.5
Joint space narrowing; (range)	65 19; 91; (8–95)	76 33; 91; (17–95)	0.25
CD19+ В-cells amounts (%)	10.3 4.2; 13.5; (3.3–24.8)	0.06 0; 0.32; (0–0.9)	0.0002