Research Article
Low Baseline Interleukin-17A Levels Are Associated with Better Treatment Response at 12 Weeks to Tocilizumab Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Table 1
Baseline clinical characteristics of the IL-17A low group and the IL-17A high group.
| | | All ( = 44) | IL-17A low ( = 21) | IL-17A high ( = 23) | value |
| | Age, years | 52.2 ± 1.6 | 50.9 ± 1.9 | 53.5 ± 2.5 | 0.285 | | Female (%) | 39 (88.6) | 19 (90.5) | 20 (87.0) | 1.000 | | Disease duration, years | 10.9 ± 1.2 | 10.8 ± 1.9 | 11.0 ± 1.5 | 0.716 | | RF positivity (%) | 32 (72.7) | 11 (52.4) | 21 (91.3) | 0.006 | | ESR (mm/h) | 51.7 ± 3.6 | 48.4 ± 5.9 | 54.7 ± 4.4 | 0.217 | | CRP (mg/dL) | 2.6 ± 0.4 | 2.5 ± 0.4 | 2.6 ± 0.6 | 0.733 | | DAS28 ESR | 6.12 ± 0.12 | 6.07 ± 0.20 | 6.16 ± 0.14 | 0.549 | | Prednisolone users (%) | 36 (81.8) | 19 (90.5) | 17 (73.9) | 0.245 | | Prednisolone equivalent dose (mg/day) | 3.8 ± 0.4 | 4.2 ± 0.6 | 3.3 ± 0.6 | 0.302 | | Concomitant DMARDs | | | | | | MTX users (%) | 44 (100) | 21 (100) | 23 (100) | 1.000 | | MTX (mg/wk) | 14.6 ± 0.5 | 14.4 ± 0.7 | 14.7 ± 0.6 | 0.887 | | HCQ (%) | 13 (29.5) | 5 (23.8) | 8 (34.8) | 0.426 | | SSZ (%) | 5 (11.4) | 5 (23.8) | 0 (0) | 0.013 | | Previous TNF- inhibitors (%) | 3 (6.8) | 3 (14.3) | 0 (0) | 0.100 |
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Data are presented as mean (±SEM) for continuous data and number (percentage) for categorical variables. RF = rheumatoid factors; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP = C-reactive protein; DAS = disease activity score; DMARDs = disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; MTX = methotrexate; HCQ = hydroxychloroquine; SSZ = sulfasalazine; TNF- = tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
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