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Determining blood levels of two proteins — osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL) — may help identify patients at risk of having ankylosing spondylitis, a review study suggests. However, these potential biomarkers should be used carefully as they could be influenced by race, inflammatory factors,…

Long-term treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors improves bone mineral density (BMD) but does not affect the progression of vertebral fractures in people with ankylosing spondylitis, according to a study. The study, “Long‐term Treatment with TNF‐alpha Inhibitors Improves Bone Mineral Density But Not Vertebral Fracture Progression in Ankylosing…

Analyzing the circulating levels of a specific RNA molecule, known as MEG3, may be used as a reliable and effective biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis patients, a study has found. The study, “lncRNA MEG3 is downregulated in ankylosing spondylitis…

People with ankylosing spondylitis have diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to the general population, a Swedish study shows. The study, “Factors related to health-related quality of life in ankylosing spondylitis, overall and stratified by sex,” was published in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Approximately 10 to 23 percent of people with ankylosing spondylitis have hip joint involvement that can be managed with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-alpha) blocking therapy, a study shows. The study, “High prevalence of hip involvement and decrease in inflammatory ultrasound lesions…

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients younger than 40 and those treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are at a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, a population study shows. These results support the need for…

Treatment with Simponi (golimumab) reduced the incidence of a type of eye inflammation called acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and decreased disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to a Phase 4 clinical study in a real-world setting. The research, “Reduced Occurrence…

TrialSpark, a technology company that works to increase access and integrate trial participation into patients’ everyday lives, has teamed up with Novartis, a global healthcare company, to activate their first clinical trial sites. This patient-centered model for clinical trials will enable patients to enroll in studies from their doctor’s office, rather…

Cash-strapped governments across the 28-member European Union are struggling to control runaway healthcare expenditures — at exactly the same time as the promise of new but expensive therapies to treat rare diseases has never been greater. That’s the paradox faced by pharmaceutical companies as well as patient advocacy groups in…

Use of TNF-alpha inhibitors reduces inflammation and increases levels of eosinophils — a type of immune cell that protects the body from infections — in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a study shows. The study, “The relationship between blood eosinophil count and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis…