A case of essential thrombocythemia and ankylosing spondylitis treated with a combination of anagrelide, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and etanercept.
BACKGROUND
A high platelet count, or thrombocytosis, is either a reactive process or a result of a myeloproliferative disorder. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting the spine and sometimes peripheral joints in which reactive mild to moderate thrombocytosis is a common finding. There have been no previously reported cases of essential thrombocythemia associated with ankylosing spondylitis.


METHODS
We report a case of a 32-year-old man with human leukocyte antigen B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis and Janus kinase 2-positive essential thrombocythemia who was treated first with a combination of anagrelide and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and, after liver toxicity, with a combination of anagrelide and etanercept (TNF-α antagonist). Both diseases were gradually brought under control.


CONCLUSIONS
Our case of ankylosing spondylitis and essential thrombocythemia suggests that concomitant etanercept and anagrelide therapy is safe, as well as effective.
Vanja
V
Zeremski
Aleksandar
A
Savić
Tatjana
T
Ilić
Ivana
I
Milosević
Marina
M
Maksimović
Biljana
B
Vucković
D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068800:Etanercept / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000188:drug therapy*
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; C021139:anagrelide; D000068800:Etanercept