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Biomolecules Oct 2020Spondyloarthritis comprises a group of inflammatory diseases of the joints and spine, with various clinical manifestations. The group includes ankylosing spondylitis,... (Review)
Review
Spondyloarthritis comprises a group of inflammatory diseases of the joints and spine, with various clinical manifestations. The group includes ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. The exact etiology and pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis are still unknown, but five hypotheses explaining the pathogenesis exist. These hypotheses suggest that spondyloarthritis is caused by arthritogenic peptides, an unfolded protein response, HLA-B*27 homodimer formation, malfunctioning endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases, and, last but not least, gut inflammation and dysbiosis. Here we discuss the five hypotheses and the evidence supporting each. In all of these hypotheses, HLA-B*27 plays a central role. It is likely that a combination of these hypotheses, with HLA-B*27 taking center stage, will eventually explain the development of spondyloarthritis in predisposed individuals.
Topics: Arthritis, Psoriatic; Arthritis, Reactive; HLA-B27 Antigen; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Joints; Spine; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Unfolded Protein Response
PubMed: 33092023
DOI: 10.3390/biom10101461 -
Arthritis Care & Research Oct 2019To update evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). (Review)
Review
2019 Update of the American College of Rheumatology/Spondylitis Association of America/Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network Recommendations for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To update evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).
METHODS
We conducted updated systematic literature reviews for 20 clinical questions on pharmacologic treatment addressed in the 2015 guidelines, and for 26 new questions on pharmacologic treatment, treat-to-target strategy, and use of imaging. New questions addressed the use of secukinumab, ixekizumab, tofacitinib, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) biosimilars, and biologic tapering/discontinuation, among others. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology to assess the quality of evidence and formulate recommendations and required at least 70% agreement among the voting panel.
RESULTS
Recommendations for AS and nonradiographic axial SpA are similar. TNFi are recommended over secukinumab or ixekizumab as the first biologic to be used. Secukinumab or ixekizumab is recommended over the use of a second TNFi in patients with primary nonresponse to the first TNFi. TNFi, secukinumab, and ixekizumab are favored over tofacitinib. Co-administration of low-dose methotrexate with TNFi is not recommended, nor is a strict treat-to-target strategy or discontinuation or tapering of biologics in patients with stable disease. Sulfasalazine is recommended only for persistent peripheral arthritis when TNFi are contraindicated. For patients with unclear disease activity, spine or pelvis magnetic resonance imaging could aid assessment. Routine monitoring of radiographic changes with serial spine radiographs is not recommended.
CONCLUSION
These recommendations provide updated guidance regarding use of new medications and imaging of the axial skeleton in the management of AS and nonradiographic axial SpA.
Topics: Antirheumatic Agents; Biomedical Research; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Rheumatology; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Treatment Outcome; United States
PubMed: 31436026
DOI: 10.1002/acr.24025 -
Journal of Clinical Rheumatology :... Dec 2021Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic, rheumatic disease characterized by inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, spine, and entheses. Axial spondyloarthritis... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic, rheumatic disease characterized by inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, spine, and entheses. Axial spondyloarthritis affects up to 1.4% of adults in the United States and is associated with decreased quality of life, increased mortality, and substantial health care-related costs, imposing a high burden on patients, their caregivers, and society.
SUMMARY OF WORK
Diagnosing axSpA can be difficult. In this review, we seek to help rheumatologists in recognizing and diagnosing axSpA.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS
A discussion of challenges associated with diagnosis is presented, including use and interpretation of imaging, reasons for diagnostic delays, differences in disease presentation by sex, and differential diagnoses of axSpA.
FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
The early diagnosis of axSpA and advances in available therapeutic options have improved patient care and disease management, but delays in diagnosis and treatment remain common. Additional research and education are critical for recognizing diverse axSpA presentations and optimizing management early in the course of disease.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Quality of Life; Rheumatologists; Sacroiliac Joint; Spine; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis, Ankylosing
PubMed: 33105312
DOI: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000001575 -
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2018Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterised by inflammatory back pain and several other disease manifestations and comorbidities. The... (Review)
Review
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterised by inflammatory back pain and several other disease manifestations and comorbidities. The 2009 ASAS classification criteria differentiate between the classical ankylosing spondylitis or radiographic axSpA and non-radiographic axSpA based on the presence or absence of definite radiographic changes in the sacroiliac joints. Importantly, back pain in patients with axSpA may well have reasons other than axial inflammation or new bone formation. There are several important differential diagnoses such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and osteitis condensans. This review summarises recent publications concerning the performance of imaging modalities in the field, such as conventional radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry including the trabecular bone score.
Topics: Back Pain; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Imaging; Humans; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Reproducibility of Results; Rheumatology; Sacroiliac Joint; Severity of Illness Index; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis, Ankylosing
PubMed: 30296971
DOI: No ID Found -
Mayo Clinic Proceedings Nov 2020Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an important cause of chronic low back pain and affects approximately 1% of the US population. The back pain associated with axSpA has... (Review)
Review
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an important cause of chronic low back pain and affects approximately 1% of the US population. The back pain associated with axSpA has a characteristic pattern referred to as inflammatory back pain (IBP). Features of IBP include insidious onset before age 45 years, association with morning stiffness, improvement with exercise but not rest, alternating buttock pain, and good response to treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In patients with IBP, it is essential to look for other features associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA), such as enthesitis, dactylitis, peripheral arthritis, extra-articular manifestations (eg, psoriasis, uveitis, or inflammatory bowel disease), human leukocyte antigen B27 positivity, and a family history of SpA. Axial SpA is underrecognized, and a delay of several years between symptom onset and diagnosis is common. However, with new and effective therapies available for the treatment of active axSpA, early recognition and diagnosis are of critical importance. For this narrative review, we conducted a literature search of English-language articles using PubMed. Individual searches were performed to identify potential articles of interest related to axSpA (search terms: ["axSpA" OR "axial SpA" OR "axial spondyloarthritis" OR "ankylosing spondylitis"]) in combination with terms related to IBP ("inflammatory back pain" OR "IBP" OR "chronic back pain" OR "CBP" OR "lower back pain" OR "LBP"), diagnosis (["diagn∗" OR "classification"] AND ["criteria" OR "recommend∗" OR "guidelines"]), and referral ("refer∗"). No date range was formally selected, as we were interested in providing an overview of the evolution of these concepts in clinical practice. We supplemented the review with insights based on our clinical expertise. Patients with chronic back pain should be screened for IBP and other SpA features; suspicion for axSpA should trigger referral to a rheumatologist for further evaluation.
Topics: Back Pain; Humans; Primary Health Care; Spondylarthritis
PubMed: 32736944
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.02.007 -
Rheumatology (Oxford, England) Oct 2020In recent years, significant progress has been made in improving the early diagnosis of spondyloarthritides (SpA), including axial SpA. Nonetheless, there are still... (Review)
Review
In recent years, significant progress has been made in improving the early diagnosis of spondyloarthritides (SpA), including axial SpA. Nonetheless, there are still issues related to the application of classification criteria for making the primary diagnosis of SpA in the daily practice. There are substantial conceptional and operational differences between the diagnostic vs classification approach. Although it is not possible to develop true diagnostic criteria for natural reasons as discussed in this review, the main principles of the diagnostic approach can be clearly defined: consider the pre-test probability of the disease, evaluate positive and negative results of the diagnostic test, exclude other entities, and estimate the probability of the disease at the end. Classification criteria should only be applied to patients with an established diagnosis and aimed at the identification of a rather homogeneous group of patients for the conduction of clinical research.
Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 33053191
DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaa250 -
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases Sep 2019Although the pathogenic mechanisms underlying axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are not fully elucidated, several lines of evidence suggest... (Review)
Review
Although the pathogenic mechanisms underlying axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are not fully elucidated, several lines of evidence suggest that immune responses mediated by interleukin 17A (IL-17A) play a pivotal role in both diseases. This is best highlighted by the significant clinical efficacy shown with inhibitors of IL-17A in treating axSpA and PsA. Nevertheless, a number of knowledge gaps exist regarding the role of IL-17A in the pathophysiology of spondyloarthritis in man, including its cellular origin, its precise role in discrete disease processes such enthesitis, bone erosion, and bone formation, and the reasons for the discrepant responses to IL-17A inhibition observed in certain other spondyloarthritis manifestations. In this review, we focus on the latest data from studies investigating the role of IL-17A in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and PsA that build on existing and emerging scientific knowledge in the field. Key remaining research questions are also highlighted to guide future research.
Topics: Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Arthritis, Psoriatic; Biomarkers; Humans; Interleukin-17; Spondylarthritis
PubMed: 31278139
DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215356 -
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology Nov 2023Axial spondyloarthritides (axSpA) are a group of systemic autoimmune diseases, characterised by an inflammatory involvement of the axial skeleton, which, in the earlier... (Review)
Review
Axial spondyloarthritides (axSpA) are a group of systemic autoimmune diseases, characterised by an inflammatory involvement of the axial skeleton, which, in the earlier phases, cannot be detected by conventional radiology, but only by magnetic resonance imaging, thus defining the so-called non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA). The initial osteitis then tends to complicate into bone reabsorption and aberrant bone deposition, which then determines the ankylosis of the axial skeleton in the latest phases of the disease.Peripheral joints may also be affected, enthesitis being its more characteristic manifestation. The radiographic form corresponds to ankylosing spondylitis which, with psoriatic arthritis, is the best-known subtype of SpA. AxSpA are rarely associated to laboratory abnormalities and are usually complicated by the presence of both extra-articular manifestations (particularly acute anterior uveitis, psoriasis and inflamatory bowel disease) and comorbidities, with a subsequent higher risk for patients of an impaired quality of life.In this paper we reviewed the literature on axSpA of 2021 and 2022 (Medline search of articles published from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2022).
Topics: Humans; Spondylarthritis; Quality of Life; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Arthritis, Psoriatic; Psoriasis
PubMed: 37965699
DOI: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/9fhz98 -
Skeletal Radiology Sep 2022In 2009, the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) published a definition of 'active sacroiliitis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for... (Review)
Review
In 2009, the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) published a definition of 'active sacroiliitis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for classification of axial spondyloarthritis'. This new definition of an 'ASAS-positive MRI' was integral to new classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis that were published in the same year. The ASAS MRI definition had the considerable advantage of simplicity and the definition gained popularity as guidance for interpreting MRI of the sacroiliac joints in clinical practice. However, classification criteria are not designed for use in clinical practice with the consequence that overreliance on the presence of bone marrow edema, which is the principal determinant of an 'ASAS-positive MRI', may result in a tendency to overcall inflammatory sacroiliitis in the clinical setting. This article aims to inform the reader about the rationale behind the ASAS definition of a positive MRI and ASAS classification criteria, their proper use in research and why they should not be used in clinical practice. The article also contains guidance for an updated imaging protocol and interpretation of images including typical imaging findings, differential diagnosis, and common pitfalls.
Topics: Axial Spondyloarthritis; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Sacroiliac Joint; Sacroiliitis; Spondylarthritis
PubMed: 35199195
DOI: 10.1007/s00256-022-04018-4 -
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism Dec 2019Acute anterior uveitis is the most common extra-articular clinical manifestation of spondyloarthropathy. Rheumatologists should be aware of uveitis, know how it... (Review)
Review
Acute anterior uveitis is the most common extra-articular clinical manifestation of spondyloarthropathy. Rheumatologists should be aware of uveitis, know how it presents, understand the differential diagnosis of uveitis and arthritis, and be familiar with the role of systemic medications in the treatment or prevention of uveitis.
Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Diagnosis, Differential; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Spondylarthritis; Uveitis, Anterior
PubMed: 31779847
DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2019.09.014