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Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the five patients with rheumatoid arthritis

From: Accelerated subcutaneous nodulosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tocilizumab: a case series

Patients

n = 5

Gender (F/M), n

4/1

Age (years), mean ± SD

64.0 ± 10.6

Disease duration (years), mean ± SD

21.8 ± 10.9

Patients RF-positive, n (%)

4 (80%)

Patients ACPA-positive, n (%)

5 (100%)

Patients ANA-positive, n (%)

4 (80%)

Patients anti-dsDNA-positive, n (%)

1 (20%)

TCZ treatment duration (months), mean ± SD

43.4 ± 32.4

Patients treated with prednisone (2.5–7.5 mg/day), n (%)

4 (80%)

Patients treated with methotrexate (7.5–15 mg/week), n (%)

3 (60%)

Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (200–400 mg/day), n (%)

2 (40%)

  1. Demographic characteristics of the five patients included in the study. Four of the patients were positive for rheumatoid factor and five for anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies; four patients had anti-nuclear antibodies and one had anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. All of the patients had previously been treated with various conventional and biological drugs; at the time of observation, three were taking methotrexate at a mean dose ± SD of 11.6 ± 3.8 mg/week with folic acid supplementation; two were taking hydroxychloroquine at a dose of 300 or 400 mg/day; and four were taking prednisone 2.5–7.5 mg/day. The patients had also been treated with intravenously administered TCZ 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks for a mean ± SD of 43.4 ± 32.4 months. ACPA anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies, ANA anti-nuclear antibodies, dsDNA anti-double stranded DNA, F females, M males, RF rheumatoid factor, SD standard deviation, TCZ tocilizumab