Table 1 Patients’ characteristics

Age^a (years)

57.1 (13.0)

57.8 (9.7)

60.1 (9.5)

Female, n (%)

8 (33.3)*

5 (19.2)*

34 (91.9)

Disease duration since diagnosis^b (years)

7.5 (3.2–22.8)*

10.3 (0.8–27.6)*

0.9 (0–23.5)

 Aminotransferase elevation

4 (16.7)

2 (7.7)

-

 Liver fibrosis/cirrhosis

0

5 (19.2)^¥

 Impaired glucose tolerance

1 (4.2)

2 (7.7)

 Diabetes mellitus

2 (8.3)

3 (11.5)

 Cardiomyopathy

0

0

Morning stiffness^b (minutes)

0 (0–10)

3 (0–180)

7.5 (0–120)

EGA^cb (mm)

0 (0–29)

13.5 (0–61)

10 (1–53)

PGA^cb (mm)

5 (0–65)

25 (0–74)

25 (0–77)

Pain hands^cb (mm)

0.5 (0–18)

31 (0–72)

24.5 (0–86)

Pain hip^cb (mm)

1 (0–44)

10.5 (0–58)

6 (0–91)

Pain knee^cb (mm)

0.5 (0–50)

25 (0–76)

10 (0–86)

Pain ankle^cb (mm)

1 (0–60)

35.5 (0–96)*

3 (0–86)

Hand function^cb (mm)

4.5 (0–66)

39.5 (0–100)

47 (0–92)

Bony swollen joints^b

0 (0–12)

2.5 (0–14)*

7 (0–24)

≥1 Bony swollen joint, n (%)

8 (33.3)

16 (61.5)**

36 (97.3)

Tender joints^b

0 (0–31)

4 (0–29)

3 (0–40)

≥1 Tender joint, n (%)

6 (25.0)

22 (84.6)

30 (81.1)

Swollen joints^b

0 (0–1)

0 (0–7)

0 (0–6)

≥1 Swollen joint, n (%)

2 (8.3)

6 (23.1)

8 (21.6)

ESR^b (mm/1^st hour)

9 (0–29)

8.5 (1–36)

6 (2–34)

CRP^b (mg/L)

0.5 (0–4)*

0.5 (0–4.2)*

1.3 (0.1–12.6)

Ferritin^b (at visit) (ng/ml)

83.6 (28–1060)

66.1 (14–853)

100.0 (19–266)