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type=\u0022text\/css\u0022 rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 href=\u0022\/\/d282kpwvnogo5m.cloudfront.net\/sites\/default\/files\/advagg_css\/css__ce2QY63WIanKyr8eSq7eavr1XQRRmFD6ZSmwpyJi8lM__zXwFqpqmxrZOXXcd_TpBQpjuELbmIP9wBR5UuTDWAO4__YJWWMMdfCJuAFm5cUEp88OsodhO3ZA-2lzRfoBsSlk4.css\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Clink rel=\u0027stylesheet\u0027 type=\u0027text\/css\u0027 href=\u0027\/sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/panels\/plugins\/layouts\/onecol\/onecol.css\u0027 \/\u003E\u003C\/head\u003E\u003Cbody\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panels-ajax-tab-panel panels-ajax-tab-panel-sageoa-tab-art\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-display panel-1col clearfix\u0022 \u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-panel panel-col\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-pane pane-highwire-markup\u0022 \u003E\n  \n      \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022pane-content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022highwire-markup\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv xmlns=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\u0022 id=\u0022content-block-markup\u0022 xmlns:xhtml=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022article fulltext-view \u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022highwire-journal-article-marker-start\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022section abstract\u0022 id=\u0022abstract-1\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESummary\u003C\/h2\u003E\n            \u003Cp id=\u0022p-1\u0022\u003EIn ankylosing spondylitis (AS) the relationship between clinical disease activity and signs of the disease as shown by imaging tools, is still very unclear. This article discusses 2 clinical trials for the treatment of AS.\u003C\/p\u003E\n         \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022kwd-group\u0022\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Einflammatory disorders\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022section\u0022 id=\u0022sec-1\u0022\u003E\n         \n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-2\u0022\u003EAccording to Dr. Robert Landew\u00e9, University Hospital Maastricht, Netherlands, \u201cIn ankylosing spondylitis (AS), unlike in RA, the relationship between clinical disease activity and signs of the disease as shown by imaging tools, is still very unclear. We expect that inflammation of the spine as measured by clinical tools is associated with inflammation as seen on MRI and leads to the formation of syndesmophytes, however the evidence for that is pretty scarce.\u201d Recent work by Dr. Landew\u00e9 and colleagues suggests that short \u003Cem\u003Etau\u003C\/em\u003E inversion recovery (STIR) MRI imaging of inflammatory lesions in the spine provides on average the same information as gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted imaging with fat saturation. Dr. Landew\u00e9 recommends doing STIR and saving TI\/gad for non-typical cases.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022section\u0022 id=\u0022sec-2\u0022\u003E\n         \u003Ch2 class=\u0022\u0022\u003ETwo Studies Highlight Key Aspects\u003C\/h2\u003E\n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-3\u0022\u003EDr. D\u00e9sir\u00e9e van der Heijde University Hospital, Maastricht, Netherlands, presented the results of a an open-label, long-term extension study which investigated the effects of two years of treatment with etanercept (25 mg twice weekly) on radiographic progression in patients with AS. Cervical and lumbar spine x-rays, performed at baseline and after 2 years, were compared with x-rays from subjects in the Outcome in AS International Study (OASIS) taken in the same time frame. In this study, although clinical findings demonstrate sustained, durable benefits with long-term etanercept therapy, x-ray evaluations suggested that progression of structural damage continued. The results of this study indicate that the effect of etanercept treatment beyond 2 years on progression of structural damage warrants further study.\u003C\/p\u003E\n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-4\u0022\u003EDr. Marte Heiberg, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway, presented the results of a study that compared the one-year survival rates of TNF-blocking agents in patients with RA, PsA and AS, which showed that anti-TNF+methotrexate (MTX) performed better than anti-TNF monotherapy in patients with RA and PsA. Data from 1168 patients (RA n=796; PsA n=161; AS n=211) who received treatment with TNF-blocking agents were analyzed. Crude overall survival rates for anti-TNF treatment were assessed in a Kaplan-Meier analysis, with adjustments for age, gender and treatment regimen in a Cox regression analysis. RA was used as the reference group. Within each diagnostic group survival rates were compared between anti-TNF monotherapy and TNF+ MTX, adjusting for age and gender.\u003C\/p\u003E\n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-5\u0022\u003ECrude one-year survival rates for anti-TNF treatment in patients with RA, PsA and AS were 67.1%, 78.3% and 82.1%, respectively (p\u0026lt;0.001 for both PsA and AS vs RA). Within the respective groups 65%, 68% and 35% received concomitant MTX. The Relative Risk (95%CI) for withdrawal from TNF+MTX versus anti-TNF monotherapy was 0.54 (0.42, 0.69) in RA patients, 0.49 (0.25, 0.96) in PsA patients, and 0.83 (0.42, 1.62) in AS patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-6\u0022\u003EAfter adjustments for age, gender, and treatment regimens the survival rates were still superior in patients with AS vs RA, whereas the survival rates were similar in patients with RA and PsA.\u003C\/p\u003E\n         \u003Cp id=\u0022p-7\u0022\u003EAnkylosing spondylitis is the most severe of the diseases that make up the spondyloarthritides (SpA) and new approaches to assessment and treatment have been the subject of much interest over the last few years. Both clinicians and patients stand to benefit from this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022copyright-statement\u0022\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022fn\u0022 id=\u0022copyright-statement-1\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2006 MD Conference Express\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022highwire-journal-article-marker-end\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022related-urls\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mdc.sagepub.com\/content\/6\/3\/29.abstract\u0022 class=\u0022hw-link hw-link-article-abstract\u0022 data-icon-position=\u0022\u0022 data-hide-link-title=\u00220\u0022\u003EView Summary\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript type=\u0022text\/javascript\u0022 src=\u0022http:\/\/mdc.sagepub.com\/sites\/all\/modules\/highwire\/highwire\/plugins\/highwire_markup_process\/js\/highwire_openurl.js?nzm5lq\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\n\u003C\/body\u003E\u003C\/html\u003E"}