Circulating anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies, cytokines and genotype as biomarkers of response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis

Table 3 Subgroup analysis of changes in SDAI values and circulating biomarkers following 6 months DMARD, for the methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy and methotrexate- prednisone combination therapy groups

Variable	n	Baseline		6 months		P value
MTX only	n	Median	IQR	Median	IQR	P value
SDAI	43	33.58	24.75	16.03	11.05	0.0001
CRP (μg/ml)	43	9.90	21.30	6.90	13.40	0.0048
ACPA (IU/ml)	36	501.60	844.50	310.90	559.60	0.0033
IL-7 (pg/ml)	42	14.78	64.04	14.17	19.73	NS
IL-8 (pg/ml)	42	7.68	8.84	5.01	5.32	0.0091
IL-10 (pg/ml)	7	6.68	48.16	8.41	23.41	NS
VEGF (pg/ml)	42	114.16	240.82	97.52	184.54	NS
Variable	n	Baseline		6 months		P value
MTX PRED	n	Median	IQR	Median	IQR	P value
SDAI	33	38.90	20.64	18.00	18.73	0.0001
CRP (μg/ml)	33	35.90	36.50	11.60	19.10	0.0005
ACPA (IU/ml)	29	598.90	1036.60	367.20	699.50	0.0001
IL-7 (pg/ml)	28	46.67	161.13	21.46	31.06	0.0026
IL-8 (pg/ml)	28	10.35	13.27	5.84	4.03	0.0002
IL-10 (pg/ml)	14	12.99	18.55	8.50	23.95	0.048
VEGF (pg/ml)	28	318.91	482.44	77.08	159.38	0.0044

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