Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population regarding the treatment groups (MTX methotrexate, CZP certolizumab pegol, SD standard deviation, RF rheuma factor, CRP C-reactive protein, ESR erythocyte sedimentation rate, DAS28 Disease Activity Score 28, HAQ-DI Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index, mTSS modified total Sharp score, ES erosion score and JSN joint space narrowing score)

Patient characteristics

Number

31

149

148

Women

26

116

123

Men

5

33

25

Age (in years) mean ± SD

51.1 ± 10.4

50.6 ± 11.2

51.9 ± 10.3

Disease duration (in years), mean ± SD

6.5 ± 3.9

6.3 ± 4.3

5.6 ± 3.9

RF positive

77.4%

80.5%

84.5%

Disease activity status

CRP (in mg/l), mean ± SD

21.2 ± 15.9

23.8 ± 26.7

23.5 ± 31.1

ESR (1st hour) in mm, mean ± SD

50.4 ± 22.1

48.9 ± 24.5

46.2 ± 21.2

DAS28-ESR, mean ± SD

6.9 ± 0.9

6.7 ± 0.8

6.8 ± 0.8

HAQ-DI, mean ± SD

1.6 ± 0.7

1.6 ± 0.6

1.7 ± 0.6

Radiographic status

mTSS (Sharp units) mean ± SD

26.4 ± 32.2

32.3 ± 36.8

29.6 ± 36.1

ES (Sharp units) mean ± SD

9.2 ± 15.6

11.2 ± 15.8

11.6 ± 17.6

JSN (Sharp units) mean ± SD

16.7 ± 19.2

20.8 ± 23.0

17.6 ± 20.3