76 patients with ankylosing spondylitis seen after 30 years of disease

Prevalence and risk factors for uveitis in spondyloarthritis

AIM

To determine the prevalence and risk factors for uveitis in spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients.

METHODS

A total of 225 patients who fulfilled Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society classification criteria for axial and peripheral SpA were enrolled. The diagnosis of uveitis was confirmed by an ophthalmologist. From medical records and from clinical evaluation associated information like disease duration, and human leukocyte antigen B27 was collected. Relevant laboratory tests were done and disease severity was assessed using Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score - erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Characteristics of uveitis positive and uveitis negative groups were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done for the risk factors, and P values <.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

Prevalence of uveitis was 18.7%. The disease duration was 9.3 ± 7 years and 5.4 ± 4.5 years in uveitis and no uveitis groups respectively (P ≤ .001). Family history of SpA was positive in 45.2% in the uveitis group (P ≤ .001). The frequency of axial SpA was 92.9% and 73.8% in the uveitis and no uveitis groups respectively (P ≤ .008). The mean BASDAI was 2.4 ± 1.9 and 3.3 ± 2.8 in uveitis and no uveitis groups respectively (P = .050). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, among the selected variables, family history of SpA (odds ratio [OR] =3.697; 95% CI =1.616-8.457; P = .002) and duration of disease (OR =1.089; 95% CI =1.004-1.181; P = .039) were independently associated with the occurrence of uveitis.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of uveitis was 18.7%. The family history and the disease duration of SpA were independently associated with uveitis.

Mortality in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in Argentina

Some reports describe an increased mortality in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to the general population. The aims of this study were to evaluate the cumulative survival in patients with AS and to establish possible factors associated with mortality. In cross-sectional retrospective study, AS patients were included according to 1984 modified NY criteria, in the 2000-2010 period, the prevalence of mortality was determined by review of medical records, telephone contact, family reports, and death certificates, and it was compared with mortality in Argentina's general population. One hundred twenty-seven patients were studied, 96 (75.6 %) were male, median age 49 years (interquartile range (IQR) 34-60) and median disease duration 8 years (IQR 4-17). During the follow-up period, 9 patients died (7.1 %). The median estimated survival from diagnosis of AS was 39 years (IQR 34-50) and median cumulative survival was 76 years (IQR 74-85). Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of death (5/9 patients). Deceased patients had a mean age and a mean AS disease duration significantly higher than living patients (68.1 ± 12.4 years vs 46.4 ± 15.09 years, p = 0.0001 and 33 ± 13.7 years vs 12 ± 10.7 years, p = 0.001, respectively), higher frequency of total surgeries [3/5 (60 %) vs 5/105 (4.76 %), p = 0.002] and cauda equina syndrome [3/6 (50 %) vs 2/116 (1.72 %), p = 0.001], respectively. Frequency of mortality in AS patients was higher than the crude mortality rate of Argentina's general population in the same period, with cardiovascular cause being the most frequent one.

A review of work-participation, cost-of-illness and cost-effectiveness studies in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can have important socioeconomic consequences for individual patients and for society, as symptoms usually appear in the third decade of life. When compared with those of the general population, employment rates for AS patients are significantly decreased in men, but not in women; however, both sexes experience increased AS-related (partial) work disability. In addition, changes in type of work, working hours, and the need for help might be required. AS-related sick leave in patients in paid work varies between 6.5 and 18 days per patient per year. Between 15% and 20% of AS patients require help from relatives or friends to complete unpaid tasks. The majority of the direct health-care costs related to AS are incurred by hospitalizations, physiotherapy, informal care, and drugs. High disease activity and poor physical function are the most important factors associated with the total costs of AS. Cost-effectiveness analyses for different AS therapies have shown variable results. The use of different methodologic approaches to assess the cost-effectiveness ratios makes the findings of such analyses difficult to compare with each other. This article examines the effect of AS on work participation, costs of illness and reviews cost-effectiveness analyses of AS treatments.

Ankylosing spondylitis and heart abnormalities: do cardiac conduction disorders, valve regurgitation and diastolic dysfunction occur more often in male patients with diagnosed ankylosing spondylitis for over 15 years than in the normal population?

The objective of this study was to determine the rate of selected cardiac pathologies (conduction disorders, valve regurgitation and diastolic dysfunction) in patients with long-standing ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and compare the results with the prevalence in the normal population. A rheumatologic (structured questionnaire interview) and cardiac evaluation (resting electrocardiography and echocardiography) was performed in 100 male subjects with AS and a disease duration of more than 15 years. The rates for conduction disorders, aortic and mitral valve regurgitation and diastolic dysfunction were compared with the corresponding results in the literature among the normal population. In patients with long-standing AS there was no increased rate for valve regurgitation (mitral and aortic valve) and for arrhythmia. Diastolic dysfunction occurred more often in patients with long-standing AS. However, this might be caused by the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as age and hypertension. According to these results, a cardiologic evaluation with echocardiography should not be recommended routinely in patients with long-standing AS. To confirm these results, a large prospective study with patients with long-standing AS and with a matched control group should be performed in the future.

Ankylosing spondylitis: what is the cost to society, and can it be reduced?

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic rheumatic disease leading to functional limitations. This has an important impact on participation in the labour force, with high disease-related work disability. As for cost-of-illness studies, which estimate the costs related to a disease, the cost of lost productivity is the major contributor to the total costs of ankylosing spondylitis. Because of the low prevalence of the disease, the costs related to ankylosing spondylitis are a relatively small part of the costs of all diseases to society. However, given the early and the important long-term functional loss, the lifetime costs and socio-economic impact for the individual patient are likely to be high. Because poor physical function is the major determinant of high direct and productivity costs, new (biological) treatments with effects on long-term functional disability will potentially reduce the economic impact of the disease for society and patients.

Charnley total hip arthroplasty in ankylosing spondylitis: survivorship analysis of 76 patients followed for 8-28 years

76 consecutive Charnley low friction hip arthroplasties were performed in 54 (37 men) patients with ankylosing spondylitis from 1971 to 1991 in the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital. Their mean age was 40 (16-67) years. They were followed until the end of 1999. The overall prosthesis survival was 80% at 10 years, 66% at 15 years and 62% at 20 years. The survival of the acetabular component was 91%, 77% and 73% at 10, 15 and 20 years and that of the femoral component 82%, 79% and 77%, respectively. We found no significant risk factor that predicted prosthesis survival.

Ankylosing spondylitis and monoclonal gammopathies

From 1960 to 1990, 557 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (428 men, 129 women) were diagnosed and indexed in the department of rheumatology. Monoclonal gammopathies were found in seven (five men, two women) patients (1.3%). With one exception, ankylosing spondylitis preceded monoclonal gammopathies by many years. The distribution of the isotypes of the mIg found in these seven patients was striking when compared either with previous reports of an association between ankylosing spondylitis and monoclonal gammopathies or with local data on the epidemiology of monoclonal gammopathies: five patients with IgG, four of them of the lambda (lambda) type, and two IgM, both of the kappa (kappa) type were found; no patients with mIgA were recorded. Two patients were HLA-B27 positive and had slight and transient monoclonal gammopathies, whereas three subjects were HLA-B27 negative and had important spikes, corresponding in two subjects to malignant diseases. This observation raises the question of whether the coexistence of HLA-B27 and ankylosing spondylitis might provide a protective action. Epidemiological studies are required to clarify such points.

Subacute bacterial endocarditis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis

A 57 year old white man with aortic insufficiency and previously undiagnosed ankylosing spondylitis, who developed subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE), is described. Emergency aortic valve replacement was necessary, and the aortic valve pathology showed diffusely fibrosed and thickened valve leaflets with bacterial vegetations. This is the first recorded case of SBE in ankylosing spondylitis.

Chlamydia trachomatis serology in ankylosing spondylitis

Demonstration of chlamydial antibodies in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) could show an etiological role of Chlamydia trachomatis in this condition. We studied serum specimens from 50 HLA-B27 positive patients with AS (Group I), 34 HLA-B27 positive patients with other rheumatic diseases (Group II), 67 HLA-B27 positive healthy blood donors (Group III) and 37 healthy untyped blood donors. (Group IV). Measured by an immunoperoxidase assay (IPA) chlamydial IgA (titre greater than or equal to 1:20) was more prevalent in the HLA-B27 positive persons than in the healthy controls not selected for HLA-group (Groups I + II + III vs IV : p less than 0.02). Chlamydia trachomatis IgA-IPA containing sera also had specific IgG-IPA antibodies (greater than or equal to 1:80) in 29 (96%) out of 30 sera from HLA-B27 positive individuals and controls. Conversely, 45% of specific IgG-positive (greater than or equal to 1:80) AS sera, 27.7% sera in Group II, 39.4% Group III sera vs. 11.1% of sera in Group IV had concomitant chlamydial IgA (greater than or equal to 1:20). The differences in the prevalence of specific IgA were statistically significant: Group I vs. IV : p less than 0.01; Group III vs. IV :p less than 0.05 and Gr. I + II + III vs. IV: p less than 0.05. Our data suggest an enhanced antibody production against Chlamydia trachomatis among the HLA-B27 positive individuals whether they have AS or are healthy.