Ankylosing spondylitis functional and activity indices in clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Immunology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) management relies on indices for disease activity and function.
• Accurate assessment is crucial for prognosis and treatment efficacy in AS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between functional and disease activity scores in ankylosing spondylitis.
• To identify clinical and laboratory variables associated with disease activity in AS.

Main Methods:

• The study included 50 ankylosing spondylitis patients classified by the revised New York criteria.
• Data collected included demographics, disease duration, joint involvement, HLA-B27 status, uveitis history, BASFI, BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, and inflammatory markers.

Main Results:

• ASDAS-CRP showed significant correlation with BASFI (r=0.811), BASDAI (r=0.810), and ESR (r=0.505).
• HLA-B27 positive patients exhibited a 5-fold higher median BASDAI than HLA-B27 negative patients (p=0.033).
• Patients with axial and peripheral disease had significantly higher median ESR and BASDAI compared to those with strictly axial disease.

Conclusions:

• Functional and activity indices in AS are strongly correlated, aiding in disease severity assessment.
• Inflammation markers and HLA-B27 positivity can predict higher disease activity scores.
• The presence of peripheral disease involvement alongside axial disease is associated with increased disease activity.