Hypovitaminosis D in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis is predictive of reduced response to treatment and increased disease activity: a 12 month follow-up study

Table 1 Clinimetric, laboratory and ultrasound characteristics of study population at baseline and after 12 months follow-up

Patients (N = 37)	Baseline	12 months follow-up	P-value
ESR (mm/h), mean ± SD	31 ± 21	13.9 ± 11	0.0001^
CRP (g/L), mean ± SD	13.6 ± 16	5.81 ± 4.71	0.003^
RF positivity, number (%)	31 (83)	31 (83)	-
APCA positivity, number (%)	30 (81)	30 (8)	-
Morning stiffness (minutes), mean ± SD	62 ± 48	20.8 ± 23	0.0001^
Ritchie index, mean ± SD	10 ± 8.2	2.5 ± 2.9	0.00001^
VAS pain (mm), mean ± SD	63 ± 24	31.9 ± 32	0.002^
VAS disease patient (mm), mean ± SD	58 ± 23	31 ± 27	0.0001^
EGA (mm), mean ± SD	54 ± 20	24.3 ± 20	0.0001^
Number of tender joints (0–44), median (range)	12 (0–35)	2 (0–19)	00001^
Number of swollen joints (0–44), median (range)	5 (0–22)	3 (0–21)	0.0001^
Number of tender joints (0–28), median (range)	8 (0–24)	4 (0–30)	0.0001^
Number of swollen joints (0–28), median (range)	5 (0-20	5 (0–32)	0.0001^
DAS 28 score, mean ± SD	5.18 ± 1	2.77 ± 1.14	0.0001^
Ultrasound Total Synovitis score, mean ± SD	25.7 ± 21.7	8.31 ± 6.2	0.0008^
Ultrasound Total power Doppler score, mean ± SD	3.3 ± 5.9	0.65 ± 1.22	0.005^
Ultrasound Total Erosion score, mean ± SD	1.34 ± 2.7	10.31 ± 9.8	ns^
Patients ≥1 erosion, number (%)	12 (32%)	18 (48%)	ns*
X-Ray Erosion, +ve, number (%)/%	6 (16%)	-

Results are shown as mean ± SD, median(min-max) or number(percentage) of patients, as appropriated. ^Wilcoxon test applied, *chi-squared test applied. P-value <0.05 are considered significant. ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP, C-reactive protein; RF, Rheumatoid Factor; ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; VAS, visual analogue scale; EGA, examinator’s global disease activity assessment; DAS28, 28-joint disease activity score.

ISSN: 1471-2474