Fig. 1

Analysis profile. Serum levels of survivin were measured from samples of 302 patients who completed the 24-month follow-up of the SWEFOT trial. Measurements at baseline resulted in the survivin-positive (> 0.45 ng/mL) and survivin-negative patient groups. Measurements at 3, 12, and 24 months identified patients who decreased or increased their serum survivin levels at any time point over 24 months. Four groups of patients were formed and compared: patients positive for survivin (PP), or negative for survivin (NN) on all testing occasions; and patients survivin-positive at baseline who converted negative (PN), or survivin-negative patients who converted positive (NP). After 3 months of methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy, patients still with active disease were randomized to triple therapy (MTX + sulfasalazine (SSZ) + hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)) or to anti-TNF (MTX + infliximab). *Patients with missing samples at 12 and 24 months (n = 15), who were not randomized (n = 2), or who changed their survivin status on several occasions (n = 15) were excluded from analysis