Correlation between radiographic severity of @entity626 and future disease progression. Results from a 3-year prospective, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effect of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity626 @entity4823 @entity571
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between baseline radiographic severity of @entity626 ( @entity571 ) and the importance of long-term joint space narrowing. DESIGN: Sub-analysis from a three-year randomized, placebo-controlled, prospective study, of 212 @entity1 with knee @entity571 , recruited in an osteoarthritic outpatient clinic and having been part of a study evaluating the effect of @entity4823 on symptom and structure modification in knee @entity571 . MATERIAL AND METHODS: Measurements of mean joint space width (JSW), assessed by a computer-assisted method, were performed at baseline and after 3 years, on weightbearing anteroposterior knee radiographs. RESULTS: In the placebo group, baseline JSW was significantly and negatively correlated with the joint space narrowing observed after 3 years (r=-0.34, P=0.003). In the lowest quartile of baseline mean JSW (<4.5mm), the JSW increased after 3 years by (mean (S.D.)) 3.8% (23.8) in the placebo group and 6.2% (17.5) in the @entity4823 group. The difference between the two groups in these @entity1 with the most severe @entity571 at baseline was not statistically significant (P=0.70). In the highest quartile of baseline mean JSW (>6.2mm), a joint space narrowing of 14.9% (17.9) occurred in the placebo group after 3 years while @entity1 from the @entity4823 group only experienced a narrowing of 6.0% (15.1). @entity1 with the most severe @entity571 at baseline had a RR of 0.42 (0.17-1.01) to experience a 0.5mm joint space narrowing over 3 years, compared to those with the less affected joint. In @entity1 with mild @entity571 , i.e. in the highest quartile of baseline mean JSW, @entity4823 use was associated with a trend (P=0.10) towards a significant reduction in joint space narrowing. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that @entity1 with the less severe radiographic knee @entity571 will experience, over 3 years, the most dramatic disease progression in terms of joint space narrowing. Such @entity1 may be particularly responsive to structure-modifying drugs.
