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 ) .
Antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis in ankylosing spondylitis: effect of sulfasalazine treatment.
OBJECTIVE To make a longitudinal study of antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients with ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) and to assess treatment effects . As a comparison we measured antibodies of 2 other gut associated bacteria , Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis . METHODS In a double blind study in 84 Finnish out patients with AS before and after 26 weeks ' treatment with sulfasalazine or placebo  we measured serum antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae , E. coli and Proteus mirabilis with ELISA : Serum sample s of 100 healthy blood donors served as controls . RESULTS The levels of IgA class antibodies to all 3 bacteria were statistically significantly higher in the sera of the patients compared to the controls . During sulfasalazine treatment significant decreases were observed in concentrations of the IgA class antibodies to Klebsiella and E. coli whereas only a slight decrease was observed in the concentrations of IgA antibodies to Proteus mirabilis . There were no correlations between the clinical and laboratory results observed with sulfasalazine and decrease in concentrations of IgA class antibodies . CONCLUSION Our results agree with the role of gut associated lymphoid tissue in the pathogenesis of AS , but do not totally exclude Klebsiella pneumoniae as a specific agent contributing to the development of AS
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 ) .