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  • Review Article
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Drug Insight: anti-tumor-necrosis-factor therapy for ankylosing spondylitis

Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology volume 2, pages 211–218 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the spine and peripheral joints that can lead to significant disability if left untreated. Conventional treatments can be successful in alleviating symptoms; however, this approach has not been shown to halt the progression of disease. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is central to the pathogenesis of AS. Several anti-TNF drugs have been developed and have been shown to control symptoms effectively, and possibly to prevent both clinical and radiographic progression of disease, in patients with AS. This review discusses the data from clinical trials that have assessed the use of TNF inhibitors in patients with AS, and briefly outlines other biologic therapies that have been studied.

Key Points

  • Akylosing spondylitis is more common than once thought, and causes significant loss of function and disability, in addition to decreases in quality of life for patients

  • Effective therapies now exist for patients with moderate-to-severe disease

  • Physicians treating patients with ankylosing spondylitis should use the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and physician's global assessment scores to determine which patients should be considered for anti-tumor-necrosis-factor therapy

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Figure 1: Radiographic findings from a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are supported by the Rosalind Russell Center for Arthritis Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Fellow,

    Cailin Henderson & John C Davis

  2. Associate Professor and the Director of the Division of Rheumatology Clinical Trials Center at the University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Cailin Henderson & John C Davis

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  1. Cailin Henderson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John C Davis.

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Competing interests

Dr John C Davis has served as a University of California, San Francisco Primary Investigator on studies investigating ankylosing spondylitis for Amgen, Centicor and Abbott.

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Henderson, C., Davis, J. Drug Insight: anti-tumor-necrosis-factor therapy for ankylosing spondylitis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2, 211–218 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncprheum0157

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