To update and integrate the recommendations for ankylosing spondylitis and the recommendations for the use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) into one set applicable to the full spectrum of patients with axSpA. Following the latest version of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Standardised Operating Procedures, two systematic literature reviews first collected the evidence regarding all treatment options (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) that were published since 2009. After a discussion of the results in the steering group and presentation to the task force, overarching principles and recommendations were formulated, and consensus was obtained by informal voting. A total of 5 overarching principles and 13 recommendations were agreed on. The first three recommendations deal with personalised medicine including treatment target and monitoring. Recommendation 4 covers non-pharmacological management. Recommendation 5 describes the central role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as first-choice drug treatment. Recommendations 6-8 define the rather modest role of analgesics, and disprove glucocorticoids and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for axSpA patents with predominant axial involvement. Recommendation 9 refers to biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) including TNFi and IL-17 inhibitors (IL-17i) for patients with high disease activity despite the use (or intolerance/contraindication) of at least two NSAIDs. In addition, they should either have an elevated C reactive protein and/or definite inflammation on MRI and/or radiographic evidence of sacroiliitis. Current practice is to start with a TNFi. Switching to another TNFi or an IL-17i is recommended in case TNFi fails (recommendation 10). Tapering, but not stopping a bDMARD, can be considered in patients in sustained remission (recommendation 11). The final two recommendations (12, 13) deal with surgery and spinal fractures. The 2016 Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society-EULAR recommendations provide up-to-date guidance on the management of patients with axSpA

Ankylosing spondylitis is a common form of inflammatory arthritis predominantly affecting the spine and pelvis that occurs in approximately 5 out of 1,000 adults of European descent. Here we report the identification of three variants in the RUNX3, LTBRTNFRSF1A and IL12B regions convincingly associated with ankylosing spondylitis (P < 5 × 10−8 in the combined discovery and replication datasets) and a further four loci at PTGER4, TBKBP1, ANTXR2 and CARD9 that show strong association across all our datasets (P < 5 × 10−6 overall, with support in each of the three datasets studied). We also show that polymorphisms of ERAP1, which encodes an endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase involved in peptide trimming before HLA class I presentation, only affect ankylosing spondylitis risk in HLA-B27–positive individuals. These findings provide strong evidence that HLA-B27 operates in ankylosing spondylitis through a mechanism involving aberrant processing of antigenic peptides.

The ASAS group has developed candidate criteria for the classification of axial SpA that include patients without radiographic sacroiliitis. The candidate criteria need to be validated in an independent international study.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a common, highly heritable inflammatory arthritis affecting primarily the spine and pelvis. In addition to HLA-B*27 alleles, 12 loci have previously been identified that are associated with ankylosing spondylitis in populations of European ancestry, and 2 associated loci have been identified in Asians. In this study, we used the Illumina Immunochip microarray to perform a case-control association study involving 10,619 individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (cases) and 15,145 controls. We identified 13 new risk loci and 12 additional ankylosing spondylitis–associated haplotypes at 11 loci. Two ankylosing spondylitis–associated regions have now been identified encoding four aminopeptidases that are involved in peptide processing before major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation. Protective variants at two of these loci are associated both with reduced aminopeptidase function and with MHC class I cell surface expression.

Therapeutic targets have been defined for axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) in 2012, but the evidence for these recommendations was only of indirect nature. These recommendations were re-evaluated in light of new insights. Based on the results of a systematic literature review and expert opinion, a task force of rheumatologists, dermatologists, patients and a health professional developed an update of the 2012 recommendations. These underwent intensive discussions, on site voting and subsequent anonymous electronic voting on levels of agreement with each item. A set of 5 overarching principles and 11 recommendations were developed and voted on. Some items were present in the previous recommendations, while others were significantly changed or newly formulated. The 2017 task force arrived at a single set of recommendations for axial and peripheral SpA, including psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The most exhaustive discussions related to whether PsA should be assessed using unidimensional composite scores for its different domains or multidimensional scores that comprise multiple domains. This question was not resolved and constitutes an important research agenda. There was broad agreement, now better supported by data than in 2012, that remission/inactive disease and, alternatively, low/minimal disease activity are the principal targets for the treatment of PsA. As instruments to assess the patients on the path to the target, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) for axial SpA and the Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and Minimal Disease Activity (MDA) for PsA were recommended, although not supported by all. Shared decision-making between the clinician and the patient was seen as pivotal to the process. The task force defined the treatment target for SpA as remission or low disease activity and developed a large research agenda to further advance the field.

Results. Treatment with etanercept resulted in dramatic improvement. The ASAS20 was achieved by 59% of patients in the etanercept group and by 28% of patients in the placebo group (P < 0.0001) at week 12, and by 57% and 22% of patients, respectively, at week 24 (P < 0.0001). All individual ASAS components, acutephase reactant levels, and spinal mobility measures were also significantly improved. The safety profile of etanercept was similar to that reported in studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. The only adverse events that occurred significantly more often in the etanercept group were injection-site reactions, accidental injuries, and upper respiratory tract infections.Conclusion. Etanercept is a highly effective and well tolerated treatment in patients with active AS.Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory arthritis and enthesitis involving the spine and periSupported by Immunex Corporation, Seattle, Washington, a wholly owned subsidiary

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of golimumab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the GO-RAISE study.Methods. Patients with active AS, a Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score >4, and a back pain score of >4 were randomly assigned in a 1.8:1.8:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous injections of golimumab (50 mg or 100 mg) or placebo every 4 weeks. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with at least 20% improvement in the ASsessment in AS (ASAS20) criteria at week 14.Results. At randomization, 138, 140, and 78 patients were assigned to the 50-mg, 100-mg, and placebo groups, respectively. After 14 weeks, 59.4%, 60.0%, and 21.8% of patients, respectively, were ASAS20 responders (P < 0.001). A 40% improvement in the ASAS criteria at week 24 occurred in 43.5%, 54.3%, and 15.4% of patients, respectively. Patients receiving golimumab also showed significant improvement in the physical and mental component summary scores of the Short Form 36 Health Survey, the Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire score, the BASDAI score, and the Bath AS Functional Index score, but not the Bath AS Metrology Index score. Through week 24, 85.6% of golimumab-treated patients and 76.6% of patients in the placebo group had >1 adverse event, and 5.4% and 6.5% of patients, respectively, had >1 serious adverse event. Eight golimumab-treated patients and 1 placebo-treated patient had markedly abnormal liver enzyme values (>100% increase from baseline and a value >150 IU/liter), which were transient.Conclusion. Golimumab was effective and well tolerated in a large cohort of patients with AS during a 24-week study period.Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that involves the sacroiliac joints, axial skeleton, entheses, and peripheral joints. Chronic inflammation of entheses potentially leads to new bone formation in the form of syndesmophytes and ankylosis of vertebrae and joints, primarily in the axial skeleton. Patients may also have extraarticular ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00265083.

Introduction We studied the effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF)-inhibitors on progressive spine damage in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) patients. Methods All AS patients (satisfying the modified New York criteria) prospectively followed and with at least two sets of spinal radiographs at a minimum gap of 1.5 years were included (n=334). Patients received clinical standard of care, which included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and TNF-inhibitors. Radiographic severity was assessed by the modified Stokes Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). Patients with a rate of progression more than 1 mSASSS unit/year were considered progressors. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were done. Propensity score matching (PSM) and sensitivity analysis were performed. A zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model was used to analyze the effect of TNF-inhibitor on change in mSASSS with varying follow-up periods. Potential confounders like Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), ESR, CRP, HLA-B27, gender, age of onset, smoking and baseline damage were included in the model. Results TNF-inhibitor treatment was associated with a 50% reduction in the odds of progression (OR: 0.52; CI: 0.30-0.88; p=0.02). Patients with a delay in starting therapy of more than 10 years were more likely to progress compared to those who started earlier (OR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.09-5.3; p=0.03). In the ZINB model TNF-inhibitor use significantly reduced progression when the gap between x-rays was more than 3.9 years. The protective effect of TNF-inhibitors was stronger after propensity score matching. Conclusions TNF-inhibitors appear to reduce radiographic progression in AS, especially with early initiation and longer duration of follow up.