Heijde DVD et al. – Unlike other inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as RA and psoriatic arthritis, structural progression in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) seems to be independent of TNF, despite the fact that TNF is responsible for the signs and symptoms due to inflammation in this disease. Methods
A study to investigate the effect of etanercept therapy on radiographic progression in AS pts
Pts with AS who received etanercept therapy were enrolled in a 72-wk open-label extension
Radiographs of the cervical and lumbar spine from pts who received etanercept (25 mgx2/wk) for up to 96 wks were compared to those who were not treated with anti-TNFα agents (OASIS study)
Radiographs obtained at 2 time points up to 96 wks apart were digitized and read by 2 independent readers
The primary end point was the 96-wk change in the modified Stoke AS Spine Score (mSASSS)
Results
257 pts treated with etanercept were compared with 175 unselected pts from the OASIS study
There was no significant difference in the change in the mSASSS from baseline among pts who received etanercept vs OASIS group
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