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 ) .
A short-term follow-up of enthesitis and arthritis in the active phase of juvenile onset spondyloarthropathies.
OBJECTIVE To describe the characteristics of enthesitis and arthritis in the active inflammatory stage of juvenile onset spondyloarthropathies ( SpA ) during a short-term follow-up . PATIENTS AND METHODS The study group included data of 33 patients with juvenile-onset SpA with enthesitis in > or = 3 sites , arthritis in > or = 4 joints , and erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR ) of > or = 25 mm/h despite treatment , who participated in a 26-week , double-blind , sulfasalazine versus placebo trial that showed no significant differences between groups in regard to enthesitis and arthritis . RESULTS Twenty-seven boys and 6 girls ( mean age : 15.3 + /- 3.5 years ; mean disease duration : 4.1 + /- 2.7 years ) with the seronegative enthesopathy and arthropathy ( SEA ) syndrome ( n = 20 ) or ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ; n = 13 ) comprised the group . Throughout the study , the mean ( + /- SD ) number of swollen joints and tender entheses were 4.6 + /- 2.5 and 8.3 + /- 5.4 . The entheses and joints most frequently involved were the calcaneal attachments of the plantar fascia ( 87.9 % ) and Achilles tendon ( 81.8 % ) and the ankle ( 87.9 % ) and knee ( 72.7 % ) , respectively . There was pain in the cervical , thoracic , and lumbar spine in 39.4 % , 69.7 % , and 63.6 % of patients and in the sacroiliac joints in 48.5 % . Mid-foot involvement ( or tarsitis ) occurred in 29 patients ( 87.9 % ) . Except for the feet , the simultaneous occurrence of enthesitis and arthritis in other sites was rare . Overall , there were no significant differences between SEA syndrome and AS patients . CONCLUSIONS Disease activity shows a significant trend for entheses and joints of the feet and a significant prevalence of axial enthesitis in juvenile onset SpA. Mid-foot involvement appears to be the most characteristic and potentially , the most severe form of disease in these patients
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 ) .