Primary analyses are focused on BMD changes over time and differences between the prednisone and placebo group. Secondary analyses have been performed to identify the influence of disease characteristics and additional (according to protocol)

anti-TNF alpha treatment on BMD. Methods CAMERA-II trial From 2003 until 2008, 236 early RA patients were included in the CAMERA-II trial [13]. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind multi-center, tight control strategy and treat to target (remission) trial, in which the effects of the addition of 10 mg prednisone daily to a methotrexate-based treatment strategy were studied. All patients were adults who met the 1987 revised American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA with disease duration of less than 1 year. They had not been I-BET151 treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs including GCs before. Treatment was started with 10 mg methotrexate weekly. All patients received bisphosphonates (81 % started alendronate; others received risedronate). According to study protocol, calcium supplementation was 500 mg and vitamin D was 400 IE—both usual doses at the time the study was designed. Use of this supplementation was recorded in more than 90 % of patients. Folic acid 0.5 mg daily

except for the day of methotrexate intake was also prescribed. Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was allowed. At baseline Selleckchem FHPI and every 4 weeks Abiraterone thereafter, the swollen joint count (0–38 joints), tender joint count (0–38 joints), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and visual analog scale (0–100 mm; 100 mm

worst) for general well-being were assessed. Treatment was intensified in case patients did not improve sufficiently according to predefined criteria by increasing the methotrexate dosage stepwise, switching to subcutaneous therapy with methotrexate at maximal (tolerated) oral methotrexate dose and as next step selleck chemicals adding adalimumab treatment, if needed [13]. If sustained remission (defined as a swollen joint count of 0 and at least two out of the following three: tender joint count ≤3, visual analog scale of well-being ≤20 mm, erythrocyte sedimentation rate ≤20 mm/h (1st), all during at least 3 months) was achieved, methotrexate was reduced gradually by 2.5 mg/week each month as long as remission was present. At baseline and at year 1 and 2, radiographs of hands and feet were taken and scored by two readers according to the Sharp–vanderHeijde score (SHS) [30]. The study was approved by the medical research ethics committees of all centers involved (clinical trial registration number ISRCTN70365169) and had therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. All patients gave written informed consent. BMD measurements At baseline and after 1 and 2 years of treatment, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed.