title: [Clinical significance of high sensitivity C-reactive protein for evaluating the efficacy of etanercept in active ankylosing spondylitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of etanercept for active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at different levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with active AS received a subcutaneous injection of etanercept (50 mg, once per week) for 12 weeks. According to the baseline hs-CRP, they were divided into group A (hs-CRP ≤ 3 mg/L), group B (3 < hs-CRP ≤ 11 mg/L), group C (11< hs-CRP ≤ 26 mg/L) and group D (hs-CRP > 26 mg/L). The following clinical data were recorded: VAS (visual analogue score) of spinal pain, time of morning stiffness, patient global assessment (PGA), BASDAI, BASFI, ASDAS, indices of joint tenderness on baseline and week 12. And the percents of ASAS20, ASAS40, ASAS partial remission, BASDAI20, BASDAI50, ASDAS clinically important improvement and major improvement responders were assessed in all groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 161 patients finished the study, including group A (n = 18), group B (n = 47), group C (n = 49) and group D (n = 47). Group B was similar with group A. Groups C and D were higher than group A in terms of ASDAS improvement score, percents of ASDAS clinically important improvement and major improvement responders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with moderately and significantly elevated hs-CRP may achieve ASDAS improvement more easily than those with normal and mildly elevated levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China. Email: fhuang1964@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jianglin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Yamei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068800:Etanercept; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000068800:Etanercept