Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics of the patients in total and study cohort.

Demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline are represented as means ± standard deviation (SD) for continuous data and numbers (percentages) for categorical data. Analysis of variance and Chi-square test were used to compare the clinical characteristics among the different groups for continuous variables and categorical variables, respectively. csDMARDs include actarit, aurothiomalate, auranofin, bucillamine, iguratimod, leflunomide, mizoribine, salazosulfapyiridin, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus. Abbreviations: CDAI, clinical disease activity index; csDMARDs, conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS28-ESR, the 28 joint disease activity score incorporating erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HAQ-DI, physical disability by health assessment questionnaire-disability index; IFX, infliximab; MTX, methotrexate; SDAI, simplified disease activity index; RF, rheumatoid factor.

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