Table 2: Patients characteristics at baseline and disease scores comparison.

Variables (n = 74)
Age, years (mean ± SD) 49.7 ± 15.5 DAS28 scores (mean ± SD)
Female gender, n (%) 63 (85.1) Using 3 variables (TJC, SJC, ESR/CRP)
Geographical location, n (%) DAS28-ESR-3 5.5 ± 0.7
Guinea 64 (86.5) DAS28-CRP-3 4.9 ± 0.6
Cameroon 10 (13.5) Paired t-test, p value* < 0.0001
Standard (TJC, SJC, ESR/CRP, VAS)
Disease duration, months (median, IQR)§ 36 (12-90) DAS28-ESR 5.8 ± 0.8
RF-positive, n (%)¶ 51 (78.5) DAS28-CRP 5.3 ± 0.7
ACPA-positive, n (%)¶ 31 (81.6) Paired t-test, p value* < 0.0001
TJC-28 (mean ± SD) 11.0 ± 4.1 Tamhane, et al. and DAS28-ESR
SJC-28 (mean ± SD) 3.5 ± 1.9 DAS28-ESR 5.8 ± 0.8
Patient global assessment (VAS, 0 -100 mm) 64.4 ± 19.1 Adjusted† DAS28-CRP 5.9 ± 0.6
ESR, mm/h (median, IQR) 45.0 (32.0-68.0) Paired t-test, p value* 0.7563
CRP, mg/dl (median, IQR) 20.5 (12.0-33.4) Study data-specific and DAS28-ESR
DAS28-ESR 5.8 ± 0.8
Adjusted† DAS28-CRP 5.8 ± 0.6
Paired t-test, p value* 0.9992

*: p value for comparing means; †: Adjusted for age and sex; §: Data were missing for 42 patients from Senegal; ¶: Data were missing for 9 and 38 patients respectively for RF and ACPA; DAS: Disease Activity Score; ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; CRP: C-Reactive Protein; TJC: 28 Tender Joint Count; SJC: 28 Swollen Joint Count; VAS: Visual Analog Scale, self-assessed patient global assessment of disease activity on a VAS of 0 to 100 mm; SD: Standard Deviation; IQR: Inter Quartile Range.