There is not enough evidence to support any benefit of sulfasalazine in reducing pain , disease activity , radiographic progression , or improving physical function and spinal mobility in the treatment of AS .
A statistically significant benefit in reducing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and easing spinal stiffness was mentioned in the previous version .
More withdrawals because of side effects occurred with sulfasalazine .
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause and affects mainly the spine , but can also affect other joints .
Disease progression may result in loss of mobility and function .
Sulfasalazine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in the treatment of AS .
However , its efficacy remains unclear .
This is an up date of a Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the benefits and harms of sulfasalazine for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) .
Sulphasalazine in ankylosing spondylitis: a double blind controlled study in 60 patients.
Sulphasalazine has been reported to be effective in ankylosing spondylitis with peripheral arthritis , but its efficacy in spondylitis is unknown . Thus 60 patients with active ankylosing spondylitis without peripheral arthritis or gastrointestinal symptoms were r and omly allocated to one of two therapeutic groups . One group received 2 g sulphasalazine daily for six months and the other a placebo .  Thirteen patients ( six given placebo and seven given sulphasalazine ) dropped out of the trial and were considered to be treatment failures . After six months ' follow up efficacy was rated as good or very good by 15 of the 30 patients given sulphasalazine and by only six of the 30 given placebo ( p less than 0.02 ) . Furthermore , in the patients given sulphasalazine the daily consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , functional index , and plasma IgG concentrations had fallen significantly . These data suggest that sulphasalazine may be a safe and effective treatment for spondylitis in ankylosing spondylitis
There is not enough evidence to support any benefit of sulfasalazine in reducing pain , disease activity , radiographic progression , or improving physical function and spinal mobility in the treatment of AS .
A statistically significant benefit in reducing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and easing spinal stiffness was mentioned in the previous version .
More withdrawals because of side effects occurred with sulfasalazine .
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause and affects mainly the spine , but can also affect other joints .
Disease progression may result in loss of mobility and function .
Sulfasalazine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in the treatment of AS .
However , its efficacy remains unclear .
This is an up date of a Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the benefits and harms of sulfasalazine for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) .