title: Novel therapies for ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Recent interest in therapeutic developments for ankylosing spondylitis has focused primarily on two anti-tumor necrosis factor-a therapies, infliximab and etanercept, with several reports establishing their efficacy in pivotal phase III trials. Open extension analyses of earlier controlled trials have also shown that efficacy is maintained for at least 3 years, that monotherapy is adequate, and that treatment is well tolerated with few serious infections. Treatment is associated with reduction in sick leave and days spent in hospital. Despite induction of antinuclear antibodies and anti-ds DNA antibodies, clinical sequelae are rare. Reduction in magnetic resonance imaging parameters of inflammation and serologic biomarkers of cartilage turnover suggest that these agents may be disease-modifying though direct evidence from plain radiographic studies is still lacking. Conventional second line therapies typically used in rheumatoid arthritis have also been examined and while leflunomide appears to possess limited efficacy, there may be a case for re-examining the value of methotrexate.
authors.affiliation: Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, University of Alberta, 562 Heritage Medical Research Building, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada. walter.maksymowych@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Walter P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Maksymowych
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D000068800:Etanercept; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069285:Infliximab; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077339:Leflunomide; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007555:Isoxazoles; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D000077339:Leflunomide; D000068800:Etanercept