Inclusion Criteria:RA according to the 1987 American Rheumatism Association criteria19, age between 18 and 70 years. Patients were required to have had an inadequate response to one to four DMARDs (such as azathioprine, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, penicillamine, hydroxychloroquine, or oral or injectable gold); an inadequate response was defined as discontinuation of therapy because of lack of effect. If patients were receiving DMARDs, they were required to complete a DMARD washout period that lasted at least 1 month before starting study drug treatment; no DMARDs were permitted during the study. Patients who were receiving nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, prednisone (at 10 mg daily or less), or both were eligible if the doses had been stable for at least four weeks before the study period and continued to be stable during the study period. Patients were not allowed to receive intra-articular corticosteroids.