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 controlled trial of sulphasalazine treatment of chronic ankylosing spondylitis: failure to demonstrate a clinical effect.
Sixty-two patients with long established but symptomatic ankylosing spondylitis were treated with sulphasalazine or matching placebo in a r and omized double-blind controlled trial for 48 weeks . There were no consistent significant differences between the treatment groups in clinical parameters despite multiple assessment s. Equivalent numbers in each group were able to decrease or stop non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ingestion during the study period ( four active , eight placebo ) . Side effects were reported more commonly in the sulphasalazine group ( 27 versus 17 , NS ) , but only 21 patients stopped treatment because of side effects ( 12 versus 9 , NS ) . Analysis of the subgroup with an initial ESR greater than 20 mm/h failed to show any persisting differences of response between sulphasalazine and placebo . We conclude that sulphasalazine therapy does not have a role in the treatment of chronic 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 ) .