Table 1 Characteristics of the study population^a

Total number of tested samples

39

74

19^b

–

Age, years, mean ± SD

58.6 ± 16.2

60.6 ± 13.0

51.4 ± 11.9

0.04^c,d

Female sex, n (%)

22 (56.4)

56 (75.7)

11 (57.9)

0.07^e

Leukocyte count median (IQR), cells/μl

7320 (3072)

(n = 36)

7800 (4240)

(n = 73)

7400 (4200)

(n = 19)

0.42^f

Lymphocytes median (IQR), %

26.0 (11.1)

(n = 28)

23.0 (13.6)

(n = 73)

26.0 (10.0)

(n = 19)

0.12^f

Time since disease onset, years, mean ± SD

–

8.0 ± 6.4

(n = 67)

7.9 ± 8.8

(n = 19)

0.93^g

DAS28, mean ± SD

–

3.76 ± 1.27

(n = 50)

3.72 ± 1.48

(n = 3)

0.96^g

CRP median (IQR), mg/L

–

1.9 (3.7)

(n = 64)

4.3 (14.1)

(n = 16)

0.03^h

ESR median (IQR), mm/h

–

13.0 (18.5)

(n = 52)

14.0 (18.0)

(n = 15)

0.57^h

Erosive course, %

–

40.0

(n = 60)

46.7

(n = 15)

0.77ⁱ

History of herpes zoster > 3 months ago, n (%)

0

11 (14.9)

1 (5.3)

0.03^e