title: Similar response rates in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis after 1 year of treatment with etanercept: results from the ESTHER trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed whether there is a difference to etanercept (ETA) treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared with non-radiographic axial SpA (nr-axSpA) patients with a disease duration <5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  AS (n=20) and nr-axSpA (n=20) patients who were treated with ETA for 1 year were compared for differences in baseline data and treatment effect. Clinical, laboratory and MRI of sacroiliac joints (SI-joints) and spine were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, there were no significant differences between the 20 AS and the 20 nr-axSpA patients regarding age, disease duration, gender, HLA-B27 and clinical disease activity in terms of Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), C-reactive protein and MRI SI-joint and spine scores in the AS compared with the nr-axSpA group. After 1 year of treatment with ETA the treatment effect was similarly good in AS and nr-axSpA (reduction of BASDAI by 3.3 (95% CI 2.2 to 3.8) vs 3.6 (95% CI 2.8 to 4.4) and reduction of AS Disease Activity Score by 1.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.2) vs 1.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.1), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The response rate to TNF-blockers does not differ between AS and nr-axSpA if the baseline data regarding symptom duration and disease activity are similar for the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: In-Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiß
authors.forename: Kay-Geert A
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Hildrun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haibel
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Althoff
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poddubnyy
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Listing
authors.forename: Ekkehard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Freundlich
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudwaleit
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sieper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000473:pathology; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept