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Table 2 Baseline patient characteristics of the clinically suspect arthralgia patients with complete clinical follow-up (N = 152) and complete clinical follow-up as well as MRI data at baseline at 2-year follow-up (N = 98)

From: Improvement of symptoms in clinically suspect arthralgia and resolution of subclinical joint inflammation: a longitudinal study in patients that did not progress to clinical arthritis

Patient characteristics

Complete clinical follow-up (N = 152)

Complete clinical follow-up and MRI data (N = 98)

Symptom resolution (n = 57)

No symptom resolution (n = 95)

Symptom resolution (n = 32)

No symptom resolution (n = 66)

Age in years, mean (SD)

44 (13)

46 (13)

46 (14)

47 (13)

Female sex, N (%)

40 (70)

79 (82)

20 (63)

53 (80)

Family history of RA, N (%)

17 (30)

26 (27)

10 (31)

18 (27)

Symptom duration in weeks*, median (IQR)

17 (9–30)

17 (9–41)

18 (15–32)

17 (9–50)

Morning stiffness ≥ 60 min, N (%)

22 (39)

27 (28)

10 (31)

19 (29)

68-TJC*, median (IQR)

5 (2–8)

6 (2–12)

4 (2–7)

6 (2–13)

 ≥ 4 tender joints, N (%)

33 (58)

61 (64)

18 (56)

43 (65)

Increased CRP (≥ 5 mg/L), N (%)

12 (21)

17 (18)

9 (28)

10 (15)

Autoantibody status

 Negative for IgM-RF and ACPA, N (%)

43 (75)

71 (75)

25 (78)

54 (82)

 ACPA- or RF-positive, N (%)

9 (16)

18 (19)

7 (22)

12 (18)

 ACPA-positive, N (%)

5 (9)

6 (6)

3 (9)

4 (6)

  1. ACPA anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (positive if ≥ 7 U/mL), CRP C-reactive protein, IgM-RF immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor (positive if ≥ 3.5 IU/mL), IQR interquartile range, RA rheumatoid arthritis, SD standard deviation, TJC tender joint count, VAS visual analogue scale
  2. *Missing data were as follows: symptom duration in weeks (n = 4) and 68-TJC (n = 1)