CD27-IgD- memory B cells are modulated by in vivo interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) blockade in rheumatoid arthritis

Table 1 Characteristics of patients treated with tocilizumab therapy

	Baseline (n = 36)	Week 12 (n = 36)	Week 24 (n = 36)	1 year (n = 36)
Age, median (range) years	54 (33-79)
% female	77%
Disease duration, median (range) years	9 (2-33)
RF positive	36
ACPA positive	28
RF/ACPA positive	28
	mean ± SEM
DAS28 score	5.2 ± 0.3	3.3 ± 0.3^ψ	2.7 ± 0.2^ψ	1.9 ± 0.2^ψ
CRP, mg/dl	0.9 ± 0.1	0.14 ± 0.06^ψ	0.09 ± 0.03^ψ	0.06 ± 0.02^ψ
ESR, mm/hour	32.1 ± 3.4	9.8 ± 1.6^ψ	7.2 ± 0.9^ψ	5.6 ± 0.8^ψ
Patient’s VAS	58.3 ± 4.4	48.6 ± 4.8^ψ	34.8 ± 5.4^ψ	21.5 ± 4.8^ψ
IgA-RF U/ml	122.3 ± 33.3	99.9 ± 26.3^ψ	63.3 ± 19.8^ψ	-
IgA total U/ml	265.4 ± 20.8	237.2 ± 19.5^ψ	203.1 ± 18.9^ψ	-

The primary end point of the study was a reduction in the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) at week 12. Except where indicated otherwise, values are the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). ^ψ P <0.05 versus baseline and Mann-Whitney t test was used for statistics. RF, rheumatoid factor; ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; VAS, visual analog scale (100 mm); IgA, immunoglobulin A.