Table 1

Baseline data of postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis in the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) group and the control group

Characteristic

HRT group

Control group

Age (years)

57.0 ± 0.9 (41)

58.1 ± 0.7 (47)

Disease duration (years)

16.4 ± 1.9 (41)

15.5 ± 1.7 (47)

Years after menopause

8.4 ± 1.0 (36)

8.3 ± 0.8 (42)

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

83% (41)

79% (47)

Glucocorticosteroid treatment

24% (41)

19% (47)

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

78% (41)

77% (47)

Positive serum test for rheumatoid factor

83% (40)

85% (47)

Serum TNF-α (pg/ml)

4.0 ± 0.4 (39)

4.4 ± 0.5 (46)

Serum IL-1Ra (pg/ml)

608 ± 123 (40)

485 ± 74 (47)

Serum IL-6 (pg/ml)

23.8 ± 5.7 (40)

22.4 ± 4.1 (47)

Serum sIL-6R (pg/ml)

822 ± 42 (39)

762 ± 31 (47)

Serum OPG (pg/ml)

113 ± 18 (37)

112 ± 12.8 (46)

Serum IGF-1 (ng/ml)

81.7 ± 4.4 (34)

78.2 ± 5.0 (43)

ESR (mm)

30.8 ± 3.0 (41)

26.5 ± 2.2 (46)

Serum estradiol (pmol/l)

47.7 ± 8.6 (31)

37.2 ± 4.0 (40)

Values not shown as percentages are means ± standard error of the mean. Numbers of patients for whom data were available are shown in parentheses. ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; IGF-1 = insulin-like growth factor 1; IL-1Ra = IL-1-receptor antagonist; OPG = osteoprotegerin; sIL-6R = soluble IL-6 receptor; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor α.

d'Elia et al. Arthritis Res Ther 2003 5:R202   doi:10.1186/ar761