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Table 2 Numbers and proportions (%) of patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), seronegative RA and undifferentiated arthritis having used various anti-rheumatic drugs by the end of the first year after arthritis diagnosis. Also, the number of DMARD purchases by the patients during the first year after diagnosis is shown

From: First-year drug therapy of new-onset rheumatoid and undifferentiated arthritis: a nationwide register-based study

 

Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

N = 4998

Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis

N = 2340

Undifferentiated arthritis

N = 2433

p-value

Females N (%)

3349 (67.0)

1584 (67.7)

1650 (67.8)

 

Mean age at diagnosis, years (SD)

58 (15)

56 (17)

49 (17)

 

Number of DMARD purchases, median (IQR)

11 (7, 16)

10 (6, 14)

7 (4, 11)

< 0.001

Medications

 Methotrexate (MTX)

4167 (83.4)

1789 (76.4)

1512 (62.1)

< 0.001

  MTX per os

3998 (80.0)

1706 (72.9)

1406 (57.8)

 

  MTX s.c.

625 (12.5)

308 (13.2)

310 (12.7)

 

 Sulfasalazine (SSZ)

2520 (50.4)

1090 (46.6)

1362 (56.0)

< 0.001

 Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)

3603 (72.1)

1357 (58.0)

866 (35.6)

< 0.001

 Leflunomide

256 (5.1)

121 (5.2)

119 (4.9)

0.89

 Azathioprine

65 (1.3)

31 (1.3)

23 (0.9)

0.37

 Aurathiomalate

42 (0.8)

12 (0.5)

8 (0.3)

0.023

 Auranofin

4 (0.1)

2 (0.1)

2 (0.1)

0.99

 Cyclosporine

13 (0.3)

10 (0.4)

23 (0.9)

< 0.001

 Prednisolone (PRD)

3626 (72.6)

1706 (72.9)

1283 (52.7)

< 0.001

 Self-injected biologics (all)

131 (2.6)

125 (5.3)

76 (3.1)

< 0.001

 Etanercept

53 (1.1)

55 (2.4)

31 (1.3)

 

 Adalimumab

40 (0.8)

48 (2.1)

29 (1.2)

 

 Certolizumab

23 0.5)

19 (0.8)

12 (0.5)

 

 Golimumab

19 (0.4)

19 (0.8)

9 (0.4)

 

 Abatacept

8 (0.2)

5 (0.2)

1 (0.04)

 

 Tocilizumab

4 (0.1)

1 (0.04)

1 (0.04)

 

 Ustekinumab

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (0.04)

 

 No antirheumatic medication

71 (1.4)

60 (2.6)

73 (3.0)

< 0.001

 Only prednisolone

25 (0.5)

30 (1.3)

24 (1.0)

< 0.001