Patient flowchart.

<p>BPs = Bisphosphonates; EMR = Electronic Medical Records. </p

Receiver operating characteristic curves of risk indices in predicting the incidence of OMJ.

<p>Areas under the curve are 0.683 (95% confidence interval, 0.607 to 0.760) for the solid curve among oral BPs users and 0.718 (0.648 to 0.789) for the dashed curve in all patients.</p

Correlation between the increase of hemoglobin levels and baseline hemoglobin (a), CRP (b), reduction in the clinical disease activity index (c), and baseline LHD% (d).

<p>Dot plot suggests the correlation between (a) baseline hemoglobin (Hb) and ΔHb (N = 147), (b) baseline CRP and ΔHb (N = 147), and (c) reduction in the clinical disease activity index (ΔCDAI) and ΔHb (N = 122) in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated by TCZ (black closed square) or non-TCZ biologics (gray closed circle). The straight line corresponds to the best-fit linear regression line for all samples. (d) ΔHb levels in patients treated with TCZ (black closed square) or non-TCZ biologics (gray closed circle) are expressed in two groups divided by the baseline LHD% value 5.5. The straight lines represent the median levels of ΔHb for indicated groups. (ΔHb  =  Hb at week 12 - Hb at baseline, ΔCDAI  =  CDAI at baseline – CDAI at week 12; LHD% =  low hemoglobin density.)</p

Effect of TCZ therapy and other confounding factors for the increase of Hb levels.

<p>The effect size of TCZ therapy and other confounding factors for the increase of Hb levels after treatment was analyzed by the multivariate analysis of covariance. Disease activity and clinical response was assessed by CDAI and ΔCDAI in model 1, and CRP and ΔCRP in model 2, respectively. (ΔCDAI  =  CDAI at baseline – CDAI at week 12, ΔCRP  =  CRP at baseline – CRP at week 12). TCZ, tocilizumab; Hb, hemoglobin; LHD%, low hemoglobin density; CDAI, clinical disease activity index; CRP, C-reactive protein; mHAQ, modified health assessment questionnaire-disability index.</p

Factors associated with increase of Hb levels after biologic therapies.

<p>Association between the increase of Hb levels and characteristics of the patients were assessed by Spearman's rank test. Clinical response to biologic therapies was assessed by the reduction of CDAI, CRP, or mHAQ from baseline to week 12, (ΔCDAI  =  CDAI at baseline – CDAI at week 12, ΔCRP  =  CRP at baseline – CRP at week 12, and ΔmHAQ  =  mHAQ at baseline – mHAQ at week 12, respectively). ρ represents Spearman's rank correlation coefficient; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; BMI, body mass index; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration index; Hb; hemoglobin, RBC; red blood cell count; MCV, mean corpuscular volume; MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin; LHD%, low hemoglobin density, CDAI, clinical disease activity index; CRP, C-reactive protein; mHAQ, modified health assessment questionnaire-disability index; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.</p

Drug retention and discontinuation reasons between seven biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis -The ANSWER cohort study- - Fig 2

<p><b>Drug survival rates due to inefficacy of (a) non-adjusted and (b) adjusted cases.</b> Adjusted confounder s were baseline sex, age, disease duration, DAS28-ESR, HAQ-DI, RF and ACPA positivity, concomitant MTX and PSL dose, presence of concomitant csDMARDs (BUC, IGU, SASP, and TAC), date of starting bDMARDs, and number of previously used bDMARDs. ABT = abatacept, ADA = adalimumab, CZP = certolizumab pegol, ETN = etanercept, GLM = golimumab, IFX = infliximab, TCZ = tocilizumab, DAS28-ESR = Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using erythrocyte sedimentation rate, HAQ-DI = Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index, RF = rheumatoid factor, ACPA = anti- cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, MTX = methotrexate, PSL = prednisolone, csDMARDs = conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, BUC = bucillamine, IGU = iguratimod, SASP = salazosulfapyridine, TAC = tacrolimus, bDMARDs = biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.</p

Diagnosis for joint symptoms at baseline and endpoint.

<p>Diagnosis at baseline is based upon the American College of Rheumatology / European League against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) classification criteria for RA in 2010. Diagnosis of RA at endpoint is based upon primary rheumatologists’ diagnosis. Diagnosis at endpoint is based upon the primary rheumatologists’ diagnosis. The diagnosises in non RA→non RA group was Sjogren syndrome (3), Pseudogout (2), Polymyalgia rheumatic (1), Tenosynovitis (1), and Undifferentiated arthritis (22). MTX; methotrexate treatment introduction, PD; diagnosis of periodontitis (maximal probing depth≧4mm), Pg; presence of <i>Porphyromolas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages (numbers) and were analyzed by Pearson’s qui squared test. P values for the different PD status groups at baseline are 0.36 (RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), 0.23 (RA→RA vs non RA→RA), 0.04 (non RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), respectively. P values for different Pg status groups at baseline are 0.37 (RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), 0.44 (RA→RA vs non RA→RA), 0.04 (non RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), respectively.</p><p>Diagnosis for joint symptoms at baseline and endpoint.</p

Characteristics of the patients divided by the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis or the presence of <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm.

<p>Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD. The difference of continuous variables between two groups were analyzed by students’ t-test and those among three groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages (numbers). The difference of categorical variables between two groups was analyzed by Pearson’s qui-squared test and those among three groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test. EWP: periodontitis classification criteria of the 5th European Workshop in Periodontology in 2005; SDAI: simplified disease activity index; mHAQ: modified health assessment questionnaire; N.D.: not determined; N.A.: not assessed</p><p>*: p<0.05 Pg was not analyzed in one patient because DNA of subgingival plaque sample was not successfully extracted.</p><p>Characteristics of the patients divided by the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis or the presence of <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm.</p

Baseline characteristics of the study patients.

<p>Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD. Categorical variables were expressed as % (number). EWP: periodontitis classification criteria of the 5^th European Workshop in Periodontology in 2005, SDAI: simplified disease activity index; mHAQ: modified health assessment questionnaire</p><p>Baseline characteristics of the study patients.</p

Multivariate analysis of covariance for factors associated simplified disease activity index of rheumatoid arthritis.

<p>Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the effect size of the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis based upon the 5th European Workshop in Periodontology (EWP) in 2005 (0: no periodontitis, 1: moderate periodontitis, 2: severe periodontitis) and the presence of <i>P</i>. <i>gingivalis</i> for disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, frequency of tooth brushing per a day. Disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated by simplified disease activity index. SDAI; simplified disease activity index, P; P value, ES; Effect size</p><p>*; p<0.05</p><p>Multivariate analysis of covariance for factors associated simplified disease activity index of rheumatoid arthritis.</p