B lymphocyte-typing for prediction of clinical response to rituximab

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients included in this study

Parameter	Responders	Non-responders	Pvalue
	(n= 42)	(n= 10)
Age in years, mean ± SE	62.7 ± 1.9	60.8 ± 3.1	NS^a
Female gender, percentage	81.0	60.0	NS^b
Disease duration in years, mean ± SE	11.7 ± 1.3	16.2 ± 3.9	NS^a
ESR^c, mean ± SE	39.2 ± 3.8	43.3 ± 11.8	NS^a
DAS28-ESR, mean ± SE	5.9 ± 0.2	4.9 ± 0.3	0.016^a
Lymphocytes^d, mean ± SE	2,138 ± 174	3,083 ± 23	0.0279^a
RF-positive, percentage	90.8	100.0	NS^b
ACPA-positive, percentage	76.9	80.0	NS^b
Double-seropositive, percentage	71.8	80.0	NS^b
Double-seronegative, percentage	7.7	0.0	NS^b
Concomitant MTX usage, percentage	40.4	41.7	NS^b
Previous sDMARD, mean ± SE	2.6 ± 0.1	2.0 ± 0.3	NS^a
Previous TNF inhibitors, mean ± SE	1.1 ± 0.1	1.4 ± 0.4	NS^a
No previous biologics, percentage	24.3	11.1	NS^b
One previous biologic, percentage	43.2	55.6	NS^b
Two previous biologics, percentage	27.1	11.1	NS^b
Three previous biologics, percentage	5.4	22.2	NS^b
Systemic steroids, percentage	40.0	31.0	NS^b

^aP values were calculated by using Mann-Whitney test; ^bP values were calculated by using the chi-squared test; ^cmm per 1 hour; ^dG per liter (normal range is 1.0 to 4.8). ACPA, anti-citrullinated peptide antibody; DAS28, disease activity score using 28 joint counts; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; MTX, methotrexate; NS, not significant; RF, rheumatoid factor; sDMARD, synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; SE, standard error; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.

ISSN: 1478-6362