A systematic review of the effectiveness of adalimumab

Glossary
ACR20 A 20% improvement in the counts of
the number of tender and swollen joints and
at least three items from the following:
observer evaluation of overall disease activity,
patient evaluation of overall disease
activity, patient evaluation of pain, a score of
physical disability, and improvements in blood
acute-phase responses.
ACR50 A 50% improvement in the
parameters described above.
ACR70 A 70% improvement in the
parameters described above.
ACR-N A single number that describes the
percentage of improvement from baseline that
a patient experiences; it is derived from the
same clinical parameters as the ACR response.
Details are provided in Appendix 1.
Anti-TNFs Biological agents that block
tumour necrosis factor activity.
Health Technology Assessment 2006; Vol. 10: No. 42
Glossary and list of abbreviations
Technical terms and abbreviations are used throughout this report. The meaning is usually clear from
the context, but a glossary is provided for the non-specialist reader. In some cases, usage differs in the
literature, but the term has a constant meaning throughout this review.
© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2006. All rights reserved.
Cytokines Small peptides that mediate
signals between cells, primarily in a localised
environment.
Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)
Designed to assess the physical function of
patients. Scores range from 0 (no functional
impairment) to 3 (most impaired). Details are
provided in Appendix 1.
Disease Activity Score (DAS) Calculated
using a formula that includes counts for tender
(53 joints) and swollen joints (44 joints), an
evaluation by the patient of general health and
blood acute-phase responses. Scale 0 (best) to
10 (most active disease).
DAS28 Disease Activity Score 28, similar to
DAS above but using only 28 joints for
assessment. Scale 0 (best) to 10 (most active
disease).
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