To study the maintenance of low disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis, in first open label phase period of 36 weeks, all patients received 50 mg etanercept plus methotrexate every week. Those patients who had sustained low disease activity patients were then randomized to a double-blind period of 52 weeks into 3 groups: 50 mg etanercept plus methotrexate, 25 mg etanercept plus methotrexate, or placebo plus methotrexate. Results after 88 weeks demonstrated that etanercept, even at half dosage, with methotrexate continues to maintain low disease activity than methotrexate alone.