title: Sulphasalazine therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: its effect on disease activity, immunoglobulin A and the complex immunoglobulin A-alpha-1-antitrypsin.
abstract: Serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and the complex immunoglobulin A-alpha 1 antitrypsin (IgA-alpha 1AT) were measured at the commencement and after 3 months of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of sulphasalazine (SAS) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Twenty-eight patients were evaluated, 15 on sulphasalazine, 13 on placebo. Significant falls were seen in both IgA (p less than 0.01) and IgA-alpha 1AT (p less than 0.001) in the actively treated patients. In addition, significant improvement in clinical and laboratory measures of disease were observed. It is concluded that SAS is effective in AS and modulates the immune response.
authors.affiliation: Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre, Haywood Hospital, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent UK.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Dawes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beswick
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Stanworth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D012460:Sulfasalazine