Arterial Stiffness and Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Therapy in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Results With Long-Term Two Year-Follow-Up

Abstract

Objectives: This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) therapy on arterial stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis. Patients and methods: A total of 28 active ankylosing spondylitis patients (21 males, 7 females; mean age 33.5±9.5 years; range 20 to 52 years) were enrolled. Patients' values for before the initiation of biological therapy and mid-term (24 weeks) evaluation were reported. For further evaluation, this initially reported patients were contacted two years after anti-TNF-α therapy, and their arterial stiffness was assessed by using pulse wave velocity. Results: After two years of anti-TNF-α therapy, despite the significant improvements in patients' symptoms and clinical activity parameters including Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score (4.9±0.9, 1.9±0.5 and 1.8±0.9, p=0.0001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (35.5±23.1 mm/h, 13.8±9.2 mm/h and 25.0±17.9 mm/h, p=0.0001), and C-reactive protein (2.1±1.6 ng/dL, 0.4±0.3 ng/dL and 0.6±0.9 ng/dL p=0.0001), no significant difference was observed in arterial stiffness parameters (7.9±1.3 meter/second, 7.7±1.3 meter/second and 8.3±1.1 meter/second, p=0.620). Conclusion:In line with the previous 24-week evaluation, the results at two-year follow-up indicates that anti-TNF-α therapy does not improve arterial stiffness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Arterial elastic properties and central aortic pressure in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

“…Не было отмечено изменения СРПВ, измеренной на аппарате SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical, Австралия), на фоне 24-недельной терапии ингибиторами фактора некроза опухоли α у 28 больных АС. Отсутствие изменений СРПВ, центрального пульсового давления и индекса аугментации на фоне терапии авторы связывают с сохраняющейся, несмотря на проводимую терапию, активностью воспалительного процесса [13].…”