Baseline characteristics of patients
| Characteristics | Tapering csDMARD first (n=94) | Tapering TNF-inhibitor first (n=95) |
| Demographic | ||
| Age (years), mean (95% CI) | 55.9 (53.0 to 58.8) | 57.2 (55.0 to 59.4) |
| Gender, female, n (%) | 67 (71) | 58 (61) |
| Disease characteristics | ||
| Symptom duration (years), median (IQR) | 6.0 (4.1–8.5) | 6.4 (4.2–8.9) |
| RF positive, n (%) | 50 (57) | 59 (65) |
| ACPA positive, n (%) | 62 (71) | 67 (75) |
| Disease activity | ||
| DAS44, mean (95% CI) | 1.1 (0.9 to 1.2) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1.1) |
| DAS clinical remission, DAS44 <1.6, n (%) | 75 (80) | 84 (88) |
| Boolean remission, n (%) | 31 (33) | 35 (37) |
| HAQ-DI, mean (95% CI) | 0.52 (0.42 to 0.62) | 0.47 (0.35 to 0.58) |
| Use of csDMARDs* | ||
| MTX monotherapy, n (%) | 64 (69) | 49 (52) |
| MTX +HCQ, n (%) | 18 (19) | 27 (29) |
| MTX +SASP + HCQ, n (%) | 5 (5) | 6 (6) |
| MTX +SASP, n (%) | 3 (3) | 2 (2) |
| MTX +LEF, n (%) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) |
| SASP monotherapy, n (%) | 0 (0) | 3 (3) |
| SASP +HCQ, n (%) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) |
| SASP +LEF, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (1) |
| LEF monotherapy, n (%) | 1 (1) | 3 (3) |
| LEF +HCQ, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (1) |
| HCQ monotherapy, n (%) | 0 (0) | 3 (3) |
| Use of TNF-inhibitor | ||
| Etanercept, n (%) | 51 (54) | 52 (55) |
| Adalimumab, n (%) | 37 (39) | 40 (42) |
| Certolizumab, n (%) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) |
| Golimumab, n (%) | 4 (4) | 1 (1) |
| Use of glucocorticosteroids, n (%) | ||
| Oral, n (%) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) |
| Radiographs (hand/foot) | ||
| mTSS (0–488), median (IQR) | 2 (0–6.5) | 1 (0–3.5) |
| Erosive disease, n (%) † | 37 (39) | 26 (27) |
*Some patients used a combination of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARDs).
†Erosive disease is characterised as having >1 erosion in three separate joints.
ACPA, anticitrullinated protein antibody; DAS44, Disease Activity Score measured in 44 joints; HAQ-DI, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; LEF, leflunomide; mTSS, modified Sharp/Van der Heijde score; MTX, methotrexate; RF, rheumatoid factor; SASP, sulfasalazine; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.