Extra-intestinal involvement is a common manifestation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Joints are the most common site of involvement and the co-existence of IBD with spondylitis or peripheral arthritis (Asymmetric arthritis on lower extremity joints) is considered as Spondiloarthropathy (SpA), "enteropathic arthritis" or "arthritis related to IBD" according to the "European Spondiloartropathy Study Group" criteria.1,2 The pathogenesis of extra-intestinal findings in IBD is poorly understood. Current theories suggest the impairment of mucosal immunoregulatory mechanisms in IBD, resulting in the transport of luminal content antigens to the systemic circulation. Also, lack of intestinal mucosal barrier protection mechanism, mucosal secretion of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and defense mechanism of mucosa against foreign proteins ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether clinical measures of disease activity and function in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are associated with matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase -1 (TIMP-1), and if MMPs can be more useful than C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in predicting disease activity in AS. Patients and methods: MMP-3, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were measured by ELISA in 20 patients with AS, 20 patients with IBD, 20 patients with IBD and AS (35 males, 25 females; mean age 38.1 years; range 19 to 62 years), and 20 healthy volunteers (10 males, 10 females; median age 38.5 years; range 24 to 63 years) as a control group. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Truelove-Witts activity criteria for ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's Disease of Activity Index scoring systems were used. Results: Highest MMP-3 level was in IBD group (33.51±59.56 ng/mL, p<0.045). MMP-3 levels were significantly higher in patients with IBD and IBD+AS than in patients with AS (p<0.007 and p<0.035, respectively). Highest MMP-9 levels were in the control group (10.35±2.61 ng/mL, p<0.48). MMP-9 levels were higher in AS group patients than those in IBD and IBD+AS groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (p<0.494 and p<0.260, respectively). Highest TIMP-1 levels were in the IBD group (8.11 ng/mL, p<0.006). TIMP-1 levels of IBD group were significantly higher than both AS and IBD+AS groups (p<0.033 and p<0.008, respectively). A statistically significant correlation was detected between serum MMP-3 levels and disease activity and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score in patients with AS (r=0.841, p<0.05). Conclusion: We concluded that serum MMP-3 levels may be a better biomarker than C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in showing disease activity in AS.Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; inflammatory bowel disease; metalloproteinase-3; metalloproteinase-9; tissue matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.