Radiographic progression is associated with resolution of systemic inflammation in patients with axial spondylarthritis treated with tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors: a study of radiographic progression, inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging, and circulating biomarkers of inflammation, angiogenesis, and cartilage and bone turnover.

Objective: To investigate the relationship of circulating biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and YKL-40), angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor), cartilage turnover (C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type II collagen [CTX-II], total aggrecan, matrix metalloproteinase 3 [MMP-3], and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein [COMP]), and bone turnover (CTX-I and osteocalcin) to inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographic progression in patients with axial spondylarthritis (SpA) beginning tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) inhibitor therapy.

Methods: MRIs were evaluated according to the Berlin sacroiliac (SI) joint and spine inflammation scoring method at baseline, week 22, and week 46. Radiographs were evaluated using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score at baseline and week 46.

ASDAS, BASDAI and different treatment responses and their relation to biomarkers of inflammation, cartilage and bone turnover in patients with axial spondyloarthritis treated with TNFα inhibitors.

Objectives: To investigate the relation between ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score (ASDAS), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) and treatment response and biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), YKL-40), angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)), cartilage (C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), total aggrecan, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) and bone (C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type I collagen, osteocalcin) turnover in 60 patients with axial spondyloarthritis initiating tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitor therapy.

Methods: ASDAS (CRP-based), BASDAI and biomarkers were determined before and seven times during 46 weeks of TNFα inhibitor therapy.

Results: Very high ASDAS were associated with high levels of inflammatory biomarkers, while high BASDAI were not related to any biomarkers.

Responsiveness of the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) and clinical and MRI measures of disease activity in a 1-year follow-up study of patients with axial spondyloarthritis treated with tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitors.

Objectives: To investigate construct validity and responsiveness of the novel ankylosing spondylitis (AS) disease activity score (ASDAS) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: In a 46-week prospective longitudinal multicentre study of 60 patients with SpA (80% men, median age 40 years (range 21-62)) treated with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) inhibitors (infliximab, n=41; etanercept, n=13; adalimumab, n=6), the responsiveness of ASDAS, conventional clinical measures of disease activity and treatment response and the Berlin MRI sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and lumbar spine inflammation scores were compared.

Results: After 22 weeks, 58.

[Danish recommendations on treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloarthritis based on multinational project initiative].

Introduction: The multinational initiative "3e Initiative in Rheumatology - Multi-national Recommendations for the Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis 2006-7" served the primary purpose of providing specific recommendations for the management of ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloarthritis patients in daily practice.

Material And Methods: The scientific committees from the ten participating countries selected nine clinical questions regarding diagnosis, monitoring and pharmacologic non-biologic treatment, and the Danish group chose 2 additional questions about non-pharmacologic treatment. Systematic literature searches were performed in Medline by 3 international and a Danish bibliographic fellow.

Definition of disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis.

Two definitions of the "disease duration" of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been used in the literature: (1) duration since first symptoms connected with AS and (2) duration since diagnosis of AS. To investigate how useful these definitions are for research, we reinvestigated the data of four surveys completed by patients with AS in the years since 1996. We found that the majority of the patients remembered the age at first symptoms with an accuracy of View Article and Find Full Text PDF