title: Anti TNF-α therapy might be responsible for an increased incidence of varicocele in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) therapy on the frequency of varicocele in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using color Doppler ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with AS who were on anti-TNF-α treatment and patients with AS who were not regularly taking any antiinflammatory drugs. Thirty-one healthy volunteers were included as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left-sided varicocele was determined in 14 patients of Group 1 (44%), 10 patients of Group 2 (33%), and 7 of the controls (23%). There was a statistically significant difference only between Group 1 and controls (P = 0.009). However, right-sided varicocele was determined in 12 patients of Group 1 (38%), 2 patients of Group 2 (6%), and 2 of the controls (6%) (P = 0.01 vs. Group 2, P = 0.005 vs. controls).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that patients with AS who were taking anti-TNF-a therapy had an increased prevalence of right- sided and bilateral varicocele compared to patients with AS who were not taking any disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and the healthy control group.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ugan
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yener
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umul
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayan
authors.forename: Aykut Recep
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Elif Nisa
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Ünlü
authors.forename: Bünyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kisacik
authors.forename: Bumin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Değirmenci
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çetin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver; D014646:Varicocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha