Table 4
Biologic monotherapy versus methotrexate: standardized mean difference for total X-ray score
| Medication | Reference | Follow-up period | Number analyzed | SMD (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tocilizumab | Nishimoto et al18 | 12 months | 300 | −0.43 (−0.65, −0.20) |
| Etanercept | Bathon et al5 | 12 months | 395 | −0.28 (−0.48, −0.08) |
| Klareskog et al6 | 12 months | 424 | −0.24 (−0.43, −0.05) | |
| Pooled | −0.26 (−0.40, −0.12) | |||
| Adalimumab | Breedveld et al14 | 12 months | 531 | −0.23 (−0.40, −0.05) |
| Golimumab | Emery et al15 GO-BEFORE15 | 12 months | 319 | −0.02 (−0.24, +0.20) |
| Emery et al15 GO-FORWARD15 | 12 months | 222 | −0.04 (−0.30, +0.23) | |
| Pooled | −0.03 (−0.20, +0.14) |
Note: Bold text indicates pooled results for each agent.
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; SMD, standardized mean difference.


