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Pulmonary function in ankylosing spondylitis: association with clinical variables.
A J L Brambila-Tapia1, A D Rocha-Muñoz, L Gonzalez-Lopez
1Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Rheumatology International
|April 2, 2013
Summary
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients show significantly reduced pulmonary function compared to healthy individuals. Disease activity, not structural damage, is linked to these lung function impairments in AS.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the axial skeleton.
- Pulmonary involvement in AS can lead to significant morbidity and mortality.
- Understanding the factors influencing pulmonary function in AS is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess pulmonary function in AS patients and compare it with healthy controls.
- To investigate the association between pulmonary function parameters and clinical/radiological variables in AS.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study including 61 AS patients and 74 healthy controls.
- Comprehensive assessment of pulmonary function tests.
- Evaluation of clinical disease indices (BASDAI, BASFI, BASG), enthesitis, metrology, 6-minute walking test, and acute phase reactants.
- Radiological assessment including sacroiliac and vertebral joints, and presence of "bamboo spine".
Main Results:
- AS patients exhibited significantly diminished pulmonary function compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- A higher proportion of AS patients presented with a restrictive pulmonary pattern (57.4% vs. 5.4%).
- Pulmonary function in AS correlated negatively with disease activity indices (BASDAI, BASFI, BASG, ESR, morning stiffness, enthesitis) and positively with the 6-minute walking test.
Conclusions:
- AS is associated with significant pulmonary function impairment, characterized by a restrictive pattern.
- Disease activity, rather than structural damage or disease duration, is the primary determinant of pulmonary dysfunction in AS.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring pulmonary health in AS patients, particularly those with active disease.
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