A Study of Tocilizumab as Monotherapy and in Combination With Methotrexate Versus Methotrexate in Patients With Early Moderate to Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis

A participant has a DAS28 remission response if their DAS28 < 2.6. The DAS28 is a combined index for measuring disease activity in rheumatic arthritis (RA) and includes swollen and tender joint counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and general health (GH) status. The index is calculated with the following formula: DAS28 = (0.56 × √(TJC28)) + (0.28 × √(SJC28)) + (0.7 × log(ESR)) + (0.014 × GH), where TJC28 = tender joint count and SJC28 = swollen joint count, each on 28 joints. GH = a patient's global assessment of disease activity in the previous 24 hours on a 100 mm visual analog scale (left end = no disease activity [symptom-free and no arthritis symptoms], right end = maximum disease activity [maximum arthritis disease activity]). When ESR equaled 0 mm/hr, it was set to 1 mm/hr. The DAS28 scale ranges from 0 to 10, where higher scores represent higher disease activity.

Improvement must be seen in tender (68) and swollen (66) joint counts. Joints were assessed and classified as swollen/not swollen and tender/not tender by pressure and joint manipulation. Improvement must also be seen in at least 3 of the following 5 parameters: Separate patient and physician assessments of patient disease activity in the previous 24 hours on a visual analog scale (VAS, the extreme left end of the line "no disease activity" [symptom-free and no arthritis symptoms] and the extreme right end "maximum disease activity"; patient assessment of pain in previous the 24 hours on a VAS (extreme left end of the line "no pain" and the extreme right end "unbearable pain"); Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (20 questions, 8 components: dressing/grooming, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reach, grip, and activities, 0=without difficulty to 3=unable to do); and C-reactive protein (CRP), or erythrocyte sedimentation rate if CRP was missing.

The mTSS is a measure of joint damage and includes measures of joint erosion (JE) and joint space narrowing (JSN). The JE score, using the van der Heijde modification, measures erosion severity in 32 hand joints and 12 foot joints. Each hand joint is scored from 0 to 5 and each foot joint is scored from 0 to 10; the total score ranges from 0 to 280. Each joint is scored according to the surface area involved. A score of 10 indicates extensive loss of bone from more than one-half of the articulating bone; a score of 0 indicates no erosion. The JSN score measures the severity of JSN in 30 hand joints (15 per hand) and 12 foot joints (6 per foot). Each joint, including subluxation, is scored from 0 to 4; the total score ranges from 0 to 168. A higher score indicates more joint space narrowing. The mTSS ranges from 0 to 448 (280+168). A higher mTSS score indicates greater damage. A negative change score indicates improvement.

A major clinical response is defined as an ACR70 response that is maintained for 6 consecutive months (24 weeks) for any 24-week period between Week 2 and Week 52.

The Stanford HAQ-DI is a patient completed questionnaire specific for rheumatoid arthritis. The HAQ-DI assesses how well the patient is able to perform 8 activities: Dressing/grooming, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reach, grip, and activities. The patient answers 20 questions with 1 of 4 responses with the past week as the time frame: 0=without difficulty, 1=with some difficulty, 2=with much difficulty, and 3=unable to do. The highest score for any question in a category determines the category score. The total score ranges from 0 (no disability) to 3 (completely disabled). A negative change score indicates improvement.

The SF-36 Health Survey (Version 2) is a standardized questionnaire consisting of 36 questions that measures patient-reported symptoms on 8 dimensions; it is used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Physical Component Summary (PCS) score summarizes the subscales Physical Functioning, Role-Physical, Bodily Pain, and General Health. The Mental Component Summary (MCS) score summarizes the subscales Vitality, Social Functioning, Role-Emotional, and Mental Health. Each score was scaled from 0 to 100. A positive change score indicates better HRQoL.