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 therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: its effect on disease activity, immunoglobulin A and the complex immunoglobulin A-alpha-1-antitrypsin.
Serum levels of immunoglobulin A ( IgA ) and the complex immunoglobulin A-alpha 1 antitrypsin ( IgA-alpha 1AT ) were measured at the commencement and after 3 months of a double-blind , placebo-controlled trial of sulphasalazine ( SAS ) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) . Twenty-eight patients were evaluated , 15 on sulphasalazine , 13 on placebo .  Significant falls were seen in both IgA ( p less than 0.01 ) and IgA-alpha 1AT ( p less than 0.001 ) in the actively treated patients . In addition , significant improvement in clinical and laboratory measures of disease were observed . It is concluded that SAS is effective in AS and modulates the immune response
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 ) .