Baseline characteristics of participants
| Adalimumab (n=60) | Etanercept (n=60) | All (n=120) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 55.0 (12.5) | 53.2 (13.4) | 54.1 (12.9) |
| Female : male | 45:15 | 42:18 | 87:33 |
| Disease duration (years) | 7.0 (3.3–13.0) | 5.5 (2.0–14.5) | 6.0 (2.0–14.0) |
| No. of DMARDs tried* | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) |
| Concomitant MTX | 40 (66.7%) | 40 (66.7%) | 80 (66.7%) |
| Median dose (mg/week) | 20 | 17.5 | 20 |
| Other DMARDs | |||
| Azathioprine | 1 (1.7%) | 1 (1.7%) | 2 (3.4%) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 12 (20%) | 1 (1.7%) | 13 (21.7%) |
| Leflunomide | 5 (8.3%) | 8 (13.3%) | 13 (21.7%) |
| Penicillamine | 1 (1.7%) | 0 | 1 (1.7%) |
| Sulfasalazine | 13 (21.7%) | 8 (13.3%) | 21 (35%) |
| RF or anti-CCP +ve | 55 (91.7%) | 51 (85.0%) | 106 (88.3%) |
| Body mass index | 29.1 (6.6) | 27.2 (4.1) | 28.2 (5.6) |
| On NSAIDs | 35 (58.3%) | 26 (43.3%) | 61 (50.8%) |
| On oral prednisolone | 20 (33.3%) | 27 (45%) | 47 (39.2%) |
| Median dose (mg/day) | 10 | 7.5 | 10 |
| DAS28 (CRP4)† | 5.6 (0.9) | 5.8 (0.9) | 5.7 (0.9) |
| CRP (mg/l) | 10 (5–22) | 13 (5–31) | 12 (5–25) |
| Patient global assessment of disease severity (0–100) | 64 (23) | 67 (21) | 66 (22) |
*DAS28 (CRP4): disease activity score based on 28 joint counts calculated using CRP. For three patients in each treatment arm DAS28 (ESR4) was substituted and in one case each DAS28 (CRP3) was substituted because of missing data.
†Including methotrexate and concomitantly used DMARDs. Only one patient (randomised to adalimumab) was not given methotrexate previously because of long-standing abnormalities of liver function.
CCP, cyclic citrullinated peptide; CRP, C reactive protein; DAS28, disease activity score using 28 joints; DMARDs, disease-modifying drugs; MTX, methotrexate; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RF, rheumatoid factor.
Values are mean (SD), n (%) or median (lower quartile–upper quartile).