Ankylosing Spondylitis

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Related Articles [Rehabilitation and outpatient physiotherapy in rheumatic disease patients : Results of cross-sectional studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or Ankylosing Spondylitis and rheumatologists.] Z Rheumatol. 2008 Oct 1; Authors: Mau W, Müller A Rehabilitation and outpatient physiotherapy were investigated from the perspectives of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and of rheumatologists. In 2007, 204 outpatients with RA and 47 with AS at the Arthritis Center in Halle, Germany, and 117 rheumatologists from all over the country participated in two questionnaire surveys. Patients and rheumatologists gave predominantly positive judgements of physiotherapy, psychological interventions, and patient education programs. However, outpatient care including these interventions was judged to be mainly limited by fixed budgets and other formal restrictions. Even though these therapeutic options are part of (primarily inpatient) rehabilitation programs, the estimate of the need for multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs varied widely among the rheumatologists. Significant objections against rehabilitation include reluctance of the patients, administrative burden for the physicians, payers' rejections, and limited choice of rehabilitation clinic. Despite major functional limitations, a substantial portion of the patients received no multidisciplinary medical rehabilitation, outpati ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 25 days ago
Related Articles Beneficial Effects of Adalimumab on Biomarkers Reflecting Structural Damage in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. J Rheumatol. 2008 Sep 1; Authors: Maksymowych WP, Rahman P, Shojania K, Olszynski WP, Thomson GT, Ballal S, Wong RL, Inman RD OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the effects of adalimumab on biomarkers predictive of structural damage in inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: In a 24-week randomized controlled trial, patients with active Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) received adalimumab 40 mg or placebo every other week. Efficacy measures included ASsessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis International Working Group response, Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Total Back Pain, Bath AS Functional Index, C-reactive protein (CRP), and patient's global assessment of disease activity. Urinary type II collagen C-telopeptides (CTX-II), serum type I collagen N-telopeptides (NTX), and serum metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) were assessed using ELISA for treatment-group differences at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks. We determined correlations between changes in biomarkers and AS efficacy outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients (38 adalimumab, 44 placebo) enrolled. At 12 and 24 weeks, significant reductions in urinary CTX-II and MMP-3, but not NTX concentrations, were observed for adalimumab versus placebo (p < 0.001). Significant baseline correlations were noted between CRP and CTX-II (r = 0.71), MMP-3 (r = 0.45), and NTX (r = 0.37) (p </= 0 ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 8 days ago
Related Articles Is continuous treatment with infliximab superior to treatment upon symptom relapse in Ankylosing Spondylitis? Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2008 Oct;10(5):347-8 Authors: James N, Elyan M, Khan MA PMID: 18817636 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 26 days ago
Related Articles Computer Aided Evaluation of Ankylosing Spondylitis Using High-Resolution CT. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2008 Sep;27(9):1252-67 Authors: Tan S, Yao J, Ward MM, Yao L, Summers RM Ankylosing Spondylitis is a disease characterized by abnormal bone structures (syndesmophytes) growing at intervertebral disk spaces. Because this growth is so slow as to be undetectable on plain radiographs taken over years, it is desirable to resort to computerized techniques to complement qualitative human judgment with precise quantitative measures. We developed an algorithm with minimal user intervention that provides such measures using high-resolution computed tomography (CT) images. To the best of our knowledge it is the first time that determination of the disease's status is attempted by direct measurement of the syndesmophytes. The first part of our algorithm segments the whole vertebral body using a 3-D multiscale cascade of successive level sets. The second part extracts the continuous ridgeline of the vertebral body where syndesmophytes are located. For that we designed a novel level set implementation capable of evolving on the isosurface of an object represented by a triangular mesh using curvature features. The third part of the algorithm segments the syndesmophytes from the vertebral body using local cutting planes and quantitates them. We present experimental work done with 10 patients from each of which we processed five verteb ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 26 days ago
Related Articles Comparison of clinical and radiographic severity of juvenile-onset versus adult-onset Ankylosing Spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008 Sep 9; Authors: O'Shea FD, Boyle E, Riarh R, Tse SM, Laxer RM, Inman RD OBJECTIVES: An important unresolved issue in pathogenesis and clinical course of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) has been whether juvenile-onset AS (JoAS) is a clinical entity in its own right, or just an earlier onset variant of its adult-onset AS (AoAS) counterpart. In this study, we address this issue. METHODS: All AS patients were extracted from the database of a large Spondylitis Clinic. Those with symptom onset of </= 16 years were compared to those with symptom onset >/= 17 years. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated and adjusted for disease duration and current age. RESULTS: 267 AS patients were identified. 84 met criteria for JoAS and 183 met criteria for AoAS. There were no differences in gender ratio (Males: JoAS 81%; AoAS: 79%), nor in HLA-B27 status (positive: JoAS 75%; AoAS 81%). The axial/peripheral pattern of disease at presentation differed: an exclusively peripheral pattern was seen in 26% JoAS but in only 4.6% AoAS (p<0.0001). There were no differences in disease activity between the two groups. Adjusted for disease duration, axial features were more prominent in AoAS than JoAS as represented by neck pain [OR 2.93 (1.54,5.55)], neck stiffness [OR 3.39 (1.80,6.39)], back pain [OR 2.96 (1.43,6.11)], back stiffn ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 28 days ago
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a form of chronic arthritis. In severe cases, a surgical procedure called an osteotomy, which involves the removal and/or resection of bone is utilized to correct the deformity. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
Your doctor may run several exams and tests while trying to diagnose Ankylosing Spondylitis. Most likely, you'll have physical and neurological exams. You may need to have blood work done, and the doctor will probably order an x-ray. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 28 days ago
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by pain and progressive stiffness. It is part of a group of rheumatic diseases that share the human antigen HLA-B27. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 28 days ago
Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is aimed at relieving the patient's symptoms and preventing spinal deformity. Non-surgical treatment includes medication, physical therapy and bracing; seldom is surgery required. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
A solid understanding of your spinal anatomy will help you understand how Ankylosing Spondylitis affects your spine. Learn about the different spinal regions where AS can cause inflammation and fused bones. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
Researchers aren't exactly sure what causes Ankylosing Spondylitis, but they believe that heredity and a certain type of bacteria play a role in the development of this spinal condition. Inflammation also plays a part in causing the spine to fuse. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
The first symptom of Ankylosing Spondylitis is usually pain in the sacroiliac joints (located at the back of the pelvis). From there, AS can spread up the spine, causing bones to fuse, also known as ossification. Spinal stiffness is another symptom. ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
Who gets Ankylosing Spondylitis more frequently: males or females? Is exercise a good idea if you have AS? Learn the answers to those questions, plus read other facts and tips about this spinal condition. ...

Source: www.medscape.com --- 28 days ago
A study shows that spinal inflammation on MRI may predict therapeutic response to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for Ankylosing Spondylitis. Medscape Medical News ...

Source: www.spineuniverse.com --- 33 days ago
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by pain and progressive stiffness. It mainly affects the spine, but it can affect other areas of the body, too. Get an overview of this spinal condition here. ...

Source: www.topix.com --- 33 days ago
The symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis vary from person to person. The main symptom of AS is back pain and stiffness . ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 14 days ago
Related Articles Role of diffusion-weighted MRI in the detection of early active sacroiliitis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008 Oct;191(4):980-6 Authors: Bozgeyik Z, Ozgocmen S, Kocakoc E OBJECTIVE: This study proposed to evaluate the value of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) to detect active inflammatory changes in the sacroiliac joints of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis (also spelled spondylarthritis). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with chronic low back pain underwent clinical and MRI evaluation for axial spondyloarthritis or early Ankylosing Spondylitis. STIR, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted, fat-saturated T2-weighted, and diffusion-weighted (b values: 100, 600, 1,000 s/mm(2)) images were obtained. The presence of subchondral bone marrow edema, subchondral fatty marrow infiltration, or contrast enhancement in the sacroiliac joints or adjacent enthesitis sites was considered a marker for active inflammatory changes. All MRI sequences were evaluated for the presence of acute inflammatory changes and inter- and intrarater reliability of the sequences. Mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of diffusion-weighted images were calculated from normal and involved iliac and sacral bones of sacroiliac joints. RESULTS: ADC values measured from the lesions at b values of 1,000 and 600 s/mm(2) in patients with sacroiliitis (n = 13) were significantly higher than values measured from iliac and sacral bones in patients with lo ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 16 days ago
Altered homeostasis of CD4 (+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T-cell subpopulations in systemic lupus erythematosus. Immunology. 2008 Sep 16; Authors: Suen JL, Li HT, Jong YJ, Chiang BL, Yen JH The role of naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Treg), known to be phenotypically heterogeneous, in controlling the expression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is incompletely defined. Therefore, different subpopulations of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) Tregs in patients with active or inactive SLE were investigated and compared with those of healthy subjects and patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Characterization of different subsets of circulating CD4(+) FoxP3(+) Tregs was examined using flow cytometry. CD4(+) CD25(high) T cells were sorted and examined for suppressive activity in vitro. The results showed first that a significant decrease in the frequency of CD4(+) CD25(high) FoxP3(+) T cells was present in patients with active SLE (n = 58), compared with healthy controls (n = 36) and AS patients (n = 23). In contrast, the frequencies of CD25(low) FoxP3(+) and CD25(-) FoxP3(+) CD4(+) T cells were significantly increased in patients with active SLE by comparison with the control subjects. The elevation of these two putative Treg subpopulations was associated with lower plasma levels of complement C3 and C4 in patients with SLE. In addition, the ratios of the three subsets of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) Tregs versus effector T cells (CD4(+) CD25(+) FoxP3(-)) were i ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 20 days ago
Related Articles Repeated tuberculin skin testing following therapy with TNF-alpha inhibitors. Clin Rheumatol. 2008 Sep 16; Authors: Fuchs I, Avnon L, Freud T, Abu-Shakra M To determine the rate of true tuberculin skin test (TST) response in a cohort of patients with rheumatic disease treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). The study population included consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treated with TNFi for at least 3 months. Patients with a positive TST at screening who began Tb prophylaxis before the beginning of TNFi therapy were excluded. All patients underwent a second TST. True TST response was defined as an increase of 6 mm of induration between the screening test and the second test. Forty patients (12 men and 28 women) were included. Mean age was 51.2 years. Of them, 27 (67.5%) had RA, eight (20%) had PsA, and five patients (12.5%) had AS. At pre-treatment TST, 15 patients had a TST >/= 5 mm. A significantly higher percent of patients with TST >/= 5 mm was seen among men compared with women (75% vs. 21%, p = 0.012) and patients with PsA compared with patients with RA (75% vs. 22%, p = 0.014). At the second test, eight (20%) had an increase of 6 mm between readings with four having an increase of 10 mm or more. Four patients received infliximab and the other four were treated with etanercept. Seven of these eight patients had RA and one ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 21 days ago
Related Articles Spinal fractures in patients with Ankylosing spinal disorders: a systematic review of the literature on treatment, neurological status and complications. Eur Spine J. 2008 Sep 13; Authors: Westerveld LA, Verlaan JJ, Oner FC The ankylosed spine is prone to fracture after minor trauma due to its changed biomechanical properties. Although many case reports and small series have been published on patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) suffering spine fractures, solid data on clinical outcome are rare. In advanced diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), ossification of spinal ligaments also leads to ankylosis. The prevalence of AS is stable, but since DISH may become more widespread due to its association with age, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to increase the current knowledge on treatment, neurological status and complications of patients with preexisting ankylosed spines sustaining spinal trauma. A literature search was performed to obtain all relevant articles concerning the outcome of patients with AS or DISH admitted with spinal fractures. Predefined parameters were extracted from the papers and pooled to study the effect of treatment on neurological status and complications. Ninety-three articles were included, representing 345 AS patients and 55 DISH patients. Most fractures were localized in the cervical spine and resulted from low energy impa ...