Table 6 Comparison between VS and non-VS groups of RA stage III or IV patients (univariate analysis)
VS group (n = 30) | Non-VS group (n = 99) | P-value* | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sex (n) (male:female) | 4:26 | 2:97 | 0.04 |
Age (years) (IQR) | 68 (64−72) | 68 (61−73) | 0.65 |
Age of onset (years) (IQR) | 48 (39−56) | 50 (40−60) | 0.17 |
RA duration (years) (IQR) | 18 (13−26) | 14 (6−26) | 0.10 |
CRP level (mg/dL) (IQR) | 0.7 (0.4−1.6) | 0.3 (0.1−0.8) | < 0.01 |
RF positive (n) | 57 % (17/30) | 69 % (68/99) | 0.22 |
MMP3 (n) | 63 % (19/30) | 68 % (67/99) | 0.66 |
DAS28-CRP (IQR) | 2.9 (2.2−3.6) | 2.1 (1.7−2.8) | 0.06 |
Prednisolone (n) | 70 % (21/30) | 46 % (46/99) | 0.02 |
MTX (n) | 53 % (16/30) | 66 % (65/99) | 0.22 |
Biological agents (n) | 43 % (13/30) | 31 % (31/99) | 0.22 |
BMD of the lumbar spine (IQR) | 79 (74−91) | 81 (70−91) | 0.95 |
BMD of the femoral neck (IQR) | 60 (49−67) | 66 (59−74) | 0.02 |
Previous joint surgery (n) | 67 % (20/30) | 30 % (30/99) | < 0.01 |