Table 1 Characteristics of patients and control subjects before and after etanercept treatment

Sex (female/male)

6/4

-

9/1

-

Age (years)

72.6 ± 2.6

-

69.6 ± 1.2

-

Onset-to-study duration (range; months)

8.7 ± 2.2 (2-20)

-

-

-

BMI (kg/m²)

23.6 ± 3.4

-

22.5 ± 0.9

-

Blood pressure (systolic/diastolic, mm Hg)

160 ± 5/87 ± 4

-

148 ± 5/85 ± 3

-

Smokers (n)

2

-

2

-

Hypertension (n)

6

-

5

-

Hypercholesterolemia (n)

3

-

2

-

ESR (mm/h)

71.1 ± 8.4

56.6 ± 12.6^a

11.0 ± 3.1^e

9.4 ± 2.8^e

CRP (mg/dl)

7.5 ± 1.9

3.5 ± 1.2^b

1.1 ± 0.1^e

< 1.0^e

IL-6 (pg/ml)

76.4 ± 31.3

22.1 ± 4.4^c

4.1 ± 1.6^e

4.7 ± 1.8^e

TNF-α (pg/ml)

9.1 ± 1.6

16.9 ± 2.6^d

3.8 ± 0.5^e

16.4 ± 3.2^d