title: Therapy of ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthritides: established medical treatment, anti-TNF-alpha therapy and other novel approaches.
abstract: Therapeutic options for patients with more severe forms of spondyloarthritis (SpA) have been rather limited in recent decades. There is accumulating evidence that anti-tumor-necrosis-factor (anti-TNF) therapy is highly effective in SpA, especially in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. The major anti-TNF-alpha agents currently available, infliximab (Remicade(R)) and etanercept (Enbrel(R)), are approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in many countries. In ankylosing spondylitis there is an unmet medical need, since there are almost no disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) available for severely affected patients, especially those with spinal manifestations. Judging from recent data from more than 300 patients with SpA, anti-TNF therapy seems to be even more effective in SpA than in rheumatoid arthritis. However, it remains to be shown whether patients benefit from long-term treatment, whether radiological progression and ankylosis can be stopped and whether long-term biologic therapy is safe.
authors.affiliation: Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Herne, Germany. J.Braun@Rheumazentrum-Ruhrgebiet.de
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sieper
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068800:Etanercept; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D000069285:Infliximab; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013792:Thalidomide; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068800:Etanercept