Table 1

Patient characteristics
Patient number
 Age (years)
 Gender
 RA duration (years)
 Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
 Steroids (mg/day)
 CCP-Ab (U/ml) (t0)
 DAS28
 X-ray progression
 Response after 3 months
















Baseline
 3 months

1
 77
 Male
 21
 None
 5.0
 644
 5.45
 4.69
 No
 Nonresponder
2
 64
 Male
 27
 Leflunomide
 10.0
 610
 5.18
 4.61
 No
 Nonresponder
3
 43
 Female
 33
 Methotrexate
 7.5
 81
 4.82
 0.69
 No
 Responder
4
 65
 Female
 45
 None
 15.0
 187
 6.00
 6.44
 Yes
 Nonresponder
5
 63
 Female
 8
 None
 15.0
 >1,600
 5.83
 8.37
 Yes
 Nonresponder
6
 51
 Female
 17
 Methotrexate
 20.0
 Negative
 6.16
 4.40
 Yes
 Nonresponder
7
 34
 Female
 9
 None
 0.0
 806
 5.37
 5.47
 Yes
 Nonresponder
8
 44
 Male
 9
 None
 15.0
 Negative
 5.51
 2.55
 No
 Responder
9
 39
 Male
 1
 Methotrexate
 5.0
 Negative
 5.12
 2.09
 No
 Responder
10
 42
 Female
 29
 Methotrexate
 7.5
 Negative
 6.52
 1.79
 No
 Responder
11
 26
 Female
 2
 None
 0.0
 Negative
 4.47
 1.50
 No
 Responder
12
 48
 Female
 24
 Leflunomide
 8.0
 429
 5.57
 2.73
 No
 Responder
13
 47
 Female
 13
 Cyclosporin A
 10.0
 96
 7.11
 5.29
 No
 Responder
14
 53
 Female
 5
 Leflunomide
 8.0
 1064
 3.29
 2.42
 No
 Nonresponder
15
 62
 Female
 13
 Methotrexate
 0.0
 Neg.
 5.88
 4.40
 No
 Responder
16
 65
 Female
 2
 Sulfasalazine/hydroxychloroquin
 15.0
 >1,600
 7.68
 5.90
 No
 Responder
17
 42
 Female
 14
 None
 5.0
 61
 5.6
 3.36
 No
 Responder
18
 52
 Female
 8
 Methotrexate
 0.0
 436
 5.59
 2.38
 No
 Responder
19
 70
 Female
 14
 Leflunomide
 7.5
 855
 5.08
 2.55
 No
 Responder

Therapeutic response was defined clinically by changes of 28-joint-count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) determined at the beginning of the study (baseline) and 3 months after the start of etanercept treatment and additionally by X-ray analysis of hands and feet after 9 to 12 months. An improvement of the DAS28 by >1.2 was considered a good response (if no progression of joint destruction were observed by X-ray analysis), a DAS28 reduction by ≤ 1.2 was considered a nonresponse. Serum antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP-Ab) were analysed using the Immunoscan RA ELISA CCP2 test (Euro-Diagnostica, Malmö, Sweden) according to the manufacturer's instructions (cutoff point = 25 U/ml). RA, rheumatoid arthritis.

Koczan et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008 10:R50   doi:10.1186/ar2419