Spondyloarthropathies News

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis who underwent educational exercise programs had improved functional status, activation of disease, well-being and quality of life, according to recently published data.

Fecal calprotectin was linked with disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and could serve as a biomarker for the development of inflammatory bowel disease, according to recently published data.

Reports of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis among patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis treated with secukinumab were infrequent and consistent with earlier findings, according to data presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors was associated with decreased radiographic hip progression among patients with ankylosing spondylitis, according to findings presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Healio Rheumatology features the top Janus kinase inhibitor stories posted in the last month.

For generations, it has been a dream of oncologists to harness the immune system to defeat cancer. William B. Coley, MD, an innovative cancer surgeon of the late 19th century, recognized the likelihood for regression of head and neck cancers when the immune system was stimulated by certain infections.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been in heavy use in major cancer centers for more than a decade. These drugs are now used for several malignancies. It has been established, somewhat anecdotally, that these are associated with myiad rheumatic complications. While larger, more comprehensive and more rigorous data sets are beginning to emerge, questions remain.

Markers of disease activity and treatment trends appear to be similar among geriatric patients with ankylosing spondylitis compared with younger counterparts with the same condition, according to findings presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Tofacitinib — in 5-mg and 10-mg dose regimens twice per day — was effective in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and showed a similar 12-week safety profile to its other indications, according to results of a recently published phase 2 study.

Apremilast demonstrated continued improvements in several disease markers of psoriatic arthritis, with onset of efficacy occurring by Week 2, according to a 52-week analysis of the ACTIVE trial presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.