Increased production of soluble CTLA-4 in patients with spondylarthropathies correlates with disease activity

Table 1 Clinical characteristics and laboratory features of patients with SpA or RA and healthy controls

	HC (n = 88)	SpA (n = 165)	RA (n = 71)	P
Age (years)	44.4 ± 0.8 (20 to 62)	42.9 ± 1.1 (18 to 75)	59.1 ± 1.4 (19 to 80)	< 0.0001 (KW) SpA vs HC (MW): P = 0.28 RA vs SpA and RA vs HC (MW): P < 0.0001
Sex	56 M/16 F	121 M/44 F	27 M/44 F	SpA vs HC vs RA: P < 0.0001 (χ²) SpA vs HC: P = 0.9 RA vs SpA and RA vs HC: P < 0.0001 (χ²)
Disease duration (years)		9.2 ± 0.6 (0.5 to 35)	10.2 ± 1.1 (0.5 to 40)	0.5 (MW)
Extra-articular manifestations (%)		35/165 (21)	26/71 (36.6)
Peripheral arthritis (%)		46/165 (27.8)
BASDAI (0 to 100)		35.9 ± 2.2 (0.4 to 94)
BASFI (0 to 100)		41.2 ± 2.9 (0 to 92)
Swollen joint count (0 to 28)			7.2 ± 0.8 (0 to 22)
Tender joint count (0 to 28)			4.7 ± 0.8 (0 to 28)
HAQ (0 to 3)			1.5 ± 0.1 (0 to 3)
HLA-B27 (%)		145 (87.8)
Rheumatoid factors (%)			64/71 (90)
ESR (mm/h)		28.2 ± 2.1 (1 to 163)	30.3 ± 3.1 (1 to 125)	0.3 (MW)
CRP (mg/l)		25.1 ± 3.2 (0 to 350)	22.3 ± 3.5 (1 to 132)	0.8 (MW)

Results are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (range). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare age, disease duration, ESR, and CRP in the three groups. Then, Mann-Whitney U-test was used to calculate the exact P values between two groups.
BASDAI = Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; BASFI = Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index; CRP = C-reactive protein; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ = Health Assessment Questionnaire; HC = healthy controls; HLA = Histocompatibility Leukocyte Antigen; KW = Kruskal-Wallis; MW = Mann-Whitney; NS = not significant; RA = rheumatoid arthritis; SpA = spondylarthropathie; χ² = chi-squared test.

ISSN: 1478-6362