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Table 3 Distribution of B-cell subsets in patients and controls a

From: High levels of memory B cells are associated with response to a first tumor necrosis factor inhibitor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a longitudinal prospective study

B-cell subsets

Controls

All RA patients

DMARD-naïve patients

p1

p2

TNFi-naïve patients

TNFi ongoing

p3

Baseline TNFi introduction

p4

Baseline

3 months

CD19+

6.8 (2.5 to 8.7)

4.4 (3.3 to 6.1)

4.1 (3.1 to 9.6)

NS

NS

4.8 (3.6 to 7.4)

4.4 (3.1 to 6.3)

NS

5.3 (3.9 to 6.3)

7.7 (6.7 to 10.6)

**

(% lymphocytes)

CD27+

22.0 (18.7 to 34.8)

25.4 (16.8 to 37.6)

34.4 (17.6 to 44.4)

NS

NS

25.2 (17.7 to 36.4)

30.0 (11.7 to 42.7)

NS

28.3 (19.6 to 36.2)

28.4 (19.0 to 39.6)

NS

(% CD19+)

CD27+IgD+

10.4 (6.2 to 15.5)

8.0 (4.6 to 13.2)

8.0 (4.3 to 10.0)

NS

NS

8.0 (4.9 to 12.9)

10.5 (4.1 to 15.2)

NS

9.3 (5.4 to 14.2)

7.5 (3.4 to 12.7)

NS

(% CD19+)

CD27+IgD-

15.4 (10.2 to 21.7)

16.6 (11.0 to 25.3)

22.2 (13.8 to 39.1)

NS

NS

15.2 (10.7 to 24.4)

17.3 (9.2 to 28.6)

NS

15.9 (12.7 to 24.5)

21.3 (13.2 to 24.8)

NS

(% CD19+)

CD27-IgD+

73.1 (58.2 to 77.1)

65.7 (54.2 to 77.1)

58.5 (45.4 to 74.8)

NS

NS

68.5 (56.8 to 77.0)

65.0 (50.9 to 82.1)

NS

63.5 (54.4 to 76.7)

62.1 (49.6 to 73.7)

NS

(% CD19+)

CD27-IgD-

2.8 (1.9 to 4.5)

4.7 (3.0 to 7.2)

5.8 (3.2 to 9.5)

NS

NS

4.7 (3.0 to 6.7)

3.8 (2.9 to 7.5)

NS

4.7 (3.0 to 6.9)

6.8 (4.2 to 10.3)

NS

(% CD19+)

  1. aDMARD, Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; Ig, Immunoglobulin; NS, Not significant; p1, P-value comparing controls and all RA patients; p2, P-value comparing controls and DMARD-naïve patients; p3, P-value comparing TNFi-naïve and TNFi ongoing (currently taking TNFi agent); p4, P-value comparing baseline and 3-month data for patients with TNFi introduced at baseline; RA, Rheumatoid arthritis; TNFi, Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor. CD27+ memory B cells, CD27+IgD+ preswitch memory B cells, CD27+IgD- postswitch memory B cells, CD27-IgD+ naïve B cells, CD27-IgD- double-negative B cells, CD38high plasmablasts. All values are expressed in median (IQR). P-values were adjusted for age, sex and steroid dose.