Table 2

Differences in disease activity measures between females and males in the QUEST-RA Study according to the number of swollen joints
Number of swollen joints
 Mean (standard deviation)


DAS28
 TJC28
 ESR
 MD global
 Pain
 Patient global
 Fatigue
 HAQ
0–1







     Female
 3.2 (1.2)
 3.2 (5.3)
 24 (19)
 1.6 (1.8)
 3.3 (2.6)
 3.3 (2.5)
 3.9 (2.9)
 0.83 (0.75)
     Male
 2.7 (1.2)
 2.0 (3.9)
 20 (21)
 1.2 (1.5)
 2.6 (2.5)
 2.9 (2.6)
 2.9 (2.7)
 0.52 (0.62)
     P value
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
 <0.001
2–3







     Female
 4.2 (1.1)
 5.2 (5.4)
 29 (22)
 2.8 (1.9)
 4.1 (2.6)
 4.1 (2.4)
 4.5 (2.8)
 1.1 (0.71)
     Male
 3.8 (1.2)
 4.7 (5.7)
 25 (26)
 2.4 (1.8)
 3.6 (2.4)
 3.6 (2.3)
 3.7 (2.6)
 0.74 (0.62)
     P value
 <0.001
 0.26
 0.11
 0.013
 0.010
 0.010
 0.001
 <0.001
4–6







     Female
 4.8 (1.1)
 7.3 (6.0)
 31 (23)
 3.5 (2.0)
 4.7 (2.5)
 4.6 (2.4)
 5.0 (2.7)
 1.2 (0.71)
     Male
 4.6 (1.3)
 6.8 (6.2)
 32 (27)
 3.4 (2.0)
 4.1 (2.5)
 4.4 (2.4)
 4.2 (2.7)
 0.91 (0.64)
     P value
 0.071
 0.28
 0.63
 0.041
 0.017
 0.29
 <0.001
 <0.001
≥ 7







     Female
 6.0 (1.2)
 13 (8.0)
 38 (25)
 5.1 (2.1)
 5.6 (2.5)
 5.2 (2.5)
 5.6 (2.6)
 1.4 (0.75)
     Male
 5.8 (1.3)
 12 (7.8)
 38 (28)
 4.9 (2.1)
 5.2 (2.3)
 4.9 (2.4)
 5.0 (2.6)
 1.2 (0.68)
     P value
 0.016
 0.064
 0.99
 0.21
 0.024
 0.082
 <0.001
 <0.001

P values are from Student t test for independent samples. DAS28, disease activity score using 28 joint counts; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ, Health Assessment Questionnaire; MD global, doctor global assessment; QUEST-RA, Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis; TJC28, tender joint count-28.

Sokka et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2009 11:R7   doi:10.1186/ar2591

Open Data