A blood test for bone disease that measures the levels of an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (ALP) may predict disease progression of ankylosing spondylitis five years before abnormalities can be observed on radiographic exams, according to a new study. “This is not only useful for finding bone-specific biomarkers that…
The effects of inflammation on the later development of new bone outgrowths in certain parts of the spine in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients are largely not explained by the intermediate formation of fatty deposits, according to a new study. The findings, which take into account data from two clinical…
Xeljanz (tofacitinib) treatment led to significant reductions in spinal inflammation in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to analyses from a Phase 2 trial. Reductions were seen in the posterolateral spine and facet joints, which are commonly affected in AS and represent important treatment targets, but are often…
Genetic analyses revealed a number of genes with altered activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients compared with healthy people, which researchers believe could serve as novel disease biomarkers. Among them, the PPARG and MDM2 genes — both of which are involved in inflammation — were found to hold the…
Seven genes — from a pool of four dozen identified as being different in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) — may be potential genetic biomarkers for this rare type of arthritis, according to a new study done based on computer analyses. The study also uncovered several molecules that may…
Men with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at a higher risk of erectile dysfunction than are healthy men in the general population, according to a meta-analysis of data covering nearly 400 people with AS. “Conflicting results” are evident across the reviewed work, however, and “more high-quality studies are needed in…
A chronic inflammatory condition known as non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remained undetectable on X-ray for most people with active disease who were on treatment with Cosentyx (secukinumab) for up to two years. That’s according to new data from PREVENT (NCT02696031), a Phase 3 clinical study that also showed sustained…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty), a high concentration biosimilar of Humira (adalimumab), for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. Other approved indications for Yuflyma are rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. According…
Anxiety and depression, but not resilience, were found to be linked to poorer overall health and functioning in people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) — mostly men and almost all Chinese — who took part in a study done by researchers in Singapore. “Clinicians could consider routinely screening for anxiety and…
Proteins associated with inflammation and immune system function were identified as potential blood biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). “Better biomarkers would address a significant unmet need both in clinic, where earlier diagnosis and referral might be improved, as well as in bettering our understanding…
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