title: Recent progress in ankylosing spondylitis treatment.
abstract: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic inflammatory rheumatic disease responsible for back pain, stiffness and loss of functional capacity. The therapeutic management of AS includes regular physical exercise together with the use of NSAIDs. Second-line treatments, such as sulfasalazine, are required in cases of NSAID-refractory AS. Some patients have severe and inadequately controlled disease, explaining the need for the development of new treatments. This therapeutic development in AS involves the assessment of new NSAIDs, namely COX2 selective agents and new second-line treatments, such as methotrexate (MTX), pamidronate and anti-TNFalpha agents. Controlled studies are lacking for MTX. Pamidronate showed to be effective in NSAID refractory AS patients in open and controlled trials. Anti-TNFalpha agents (infliximab and etanercept) gave promising results with dramatic improvement of AS symptoms in open and preliminary controlled trials, but further studies are required to evaluate the real long-term effects and tolerability of these drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Jean Minjoz, Bd Fleming, F-25030 Besançon, France. eric.toussirot@ufc-chu.univ-fcomte.fr
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toussirot
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wendling
mesh_terms: D000068579:Celecoxib; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077268:Pamidronate; D011720:Pyrazoles; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D011720:Pyrazoles; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068579:Celecoxib; D000077268:Pamidronate; D008727:Methotrexate