Balance between survivin, a key member of the apoptosis inhibitor family, and its specific antibodies determines erosivity in rheumatoid arthritis

Table 1 Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and of healthy controls

	Erosive RA (n = 88)	Non-erosive RA (n = 43)	Controls (n = 34)
Age (years) [mean ± standard deviation (range)]	63 ± 2 (28–85)	53 ± 3 (19–83)	42 ± 1.8 (18–67)
Sex (male/female)	26/62	12/31	12/22
Duration of the disease (years)	12.7 ± 1.2	8 ± 1.4	-
Rheumatoid factor (+/-)	80/8	10/33	n.a.
Treatment with DMARDs
Methotrexate (n = 25)	18	7	-
Other DMARDs (n = 13)	9	4
TNF-α blockade (n = 47)	42 (37*)	5 (5*)
None (n = 45)	18	27

n.a., not assesed; DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha. *In combination with methotrexate.

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