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 ) .
Randomized double-blind comparison of chimeric monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha (infliximab) versus placebo in active spondylarthropathy.
OBJECTIVE To confirm in a placebo-controlled trial the safety and efficacy profile of infliximab in short-term treatment of patients with active spondylarthropathy ( SpA ) . METHODS Forty patients with active SpA were r and omly assigned to receive an intravenous loading dose ( weeks 0 , 2 , and 6 ) of 5 mg/kg infliximab or placebo . Evaluations for efficacy and safety were performed at weeks 1 , 2 , 6 , 8 , and 12 . The primary end points of this study were the improvements in patient and physician global assessment s of disease activity on a 100-mm visual analog scale . RESULTS Both primary end points improved significantly in the infliximab group compared with the baseline value , with no improvement in the placebo group . As early as week 2 and sustained up to week 12 , there was a highly statistically significant difference between the values for these 2 end points in the infliximab versus the placebo group . In most of the other assessment s of disease activity ( laboratory measures , assessment s of specific peripheral and /or axial disease ) , significant improvements were observed in the infliximab group compared with the baseline value and compared with placebo . Minor adverse events not causing discontinuation were equally observed in both treatment groups . There was one severe drug-related adverse event , in which a patient developed disseminated tuberculosis . CONCLUSION Tumor necrosis factor alpha blockade with infliximab in patients with active SpA was well tolerated and result ed in significant clinical and laboratory improvements in this short-term , placebo-controlled study . However , the occurrence of tuberculosis in one patient necessitates strict inclusion criteria and long-term followup
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 ) .