Comparison of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) from a single rheumatology clinic in New Delhi.

Comparison of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) classified with the recent ASsessment of spondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria. This study included 288 patients clinically diagnosed as having spondyloarthritis (SpA) where a satisfactory radiograph of sacroiliac (S-I) joints was available. The AS and the nr-axSpA groups were compared for the various SpA-related variables. Of 288 axSpA patients, there were 187 with AS. Of the remaining 101 patients without radiographic sacroiliitis, S-I joint magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was available in 72; 54 of them showed active sacroiliitis thus classified as nr-axSpA according to the ASAS criteria. The remaining 18 patients with normal MRI and the other 29 patients without MRI of the S-I joints (total 47 patients), were classified as nr-axSpA using the 'clinical arm' of the ASAS criteria. On comparing the 187 AS with 101 patients in the nr-axSpA group, the AS group showed significantly more males, longer disease duration, more axial symptoms at disease onset, higher Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index and more syndesmophytes. Biologicals were offered significantly more often to the AS group but methotrexate as monotherapy or in combination with other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was offered more often in nr-axSpA group. There was no statistically significant difference between AS and nr-axSpA in other SpA parameters. The differences brought out between AS and nr-axSpA groups show that they may not be the same disease. A prospective long-term follow-up of large cohorts may help in clarifying if nr-axSpA is simply an early stage in the spectrum of SpA evolving into AS over time or is there inherent difference between them.

Malaviya AN ，Kalyani A ，Rawat R ，Gogia SB ... -  《-》

The term 'non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis' is much more important to classify than to diagnose patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

The term axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) now is used frequently to describe patients with predominantly axial symptoms who fit into the spectrum of a well-recognised rheumatic disease that continues to be known as ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The 2009 Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria, developed to identify patients with early or atypical disease which could not be classified by the 1984 modified New York (mNY) criteria for AS, have led to a differentiation between non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and radiographic axSpA, which is largely synonymous with AS. The main reason to distinguish between these ends of the spectrum of axSpA was that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (TNFi) approved for AS could obtain additional labelling for nr-axSpA and be used to treat all patients manifesting clinical features of axSpA. These two terms are distinguished by the degree of 'radiographic sacroiliitis' assessed by conventional radiography, according to the 1984 mNY criteria for AS. Since this differentiation has been shown to be not very reliable, we argue that the terms nr-axSpA and AS should only be used for classification of patients with axSpA and not as separate diagnoses. Therefore, we propose that only the term axSpA be used to diagnose patients, unless there is a meaningful medical reason to differentiate nr-axSpA from AS. The available data justify performing randomised controlled trials designed to obtain regulatory approval for therapeutic agents in patients across the entire spectrum of axSpA.

Deodhar A ，Strand V ，Kay J ，Braun J ... -  《-》

Do patients with non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis differ from patients with ankylosing spondylitis?

Patients with axial spondylarthritis (SpA) who have structural changes in the sacroiliac joints and/or the spine have been classified as having ankylosing spondylitis (AS), while those without such changes are now classified as having nonradiographic axial SpA (nr-axSpA). The differentiating features are incompletely understood. Data from 100 consecutive patients with axial SpA not treated with tumor necrosis factor antagonists were compared clinically and with laboratory parameters, spinal radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine. Standardized clinical assessment tools were used to assess health status. AS was diagnosed in 56 patients and nr-axSpA in 44 patients. Signs of inflammation were significantly higher in patients with AS than in patients with nr-axSpA, with a median C-reactive protein level of 8.0 versus 3.8 mg/liter, a median Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score of 2.2 versus 2.8, respectively, and a median amount of spinal inflammatory lesions on MRI of 2.0 versus 0.0, respectively. Significant differences between these 2 groups were seen in sex (76.8% male AS patients versus 31.8% male nr-axSpA patients). Clinical variables did not differ between patients with AS and nr-axSpA (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire, Short Form 36 health survey). Patients with nr-axSpA were characterized by the low proportion of male patients and the low burden of inflammation compared to patients with AS. While both groups did not differ regarding health status, disease activity, and physical function, they did differ in signs of inflammation; all were higher in patients with AS. Since many patients with nr-axSpA had not developed structural changes after years of symptoms, we propose that those patients should not be regarded as having preradiographic AS but rather as having nr-axSpA.

Kiltz U ，Baraliakos X ，Karakostas P ，Igelmann M ，Kalthoff L ，Klink C ，Krause D ，Schmitz-Bortz E ，Flörecke M ，Bollow M ，Braun J ... -  《-》

Can we use structural lesions seen on MRI of the sacroiliac joints reliably for the classification of patients according to the ASAS axial spondyloarthritis criteria? Data from the DESIR cohort.

Investigating the utility of adding structural lesions seen on MRI of the sacroiliac joints to the imaging criterion of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis (ASAS) axial SpondyloArthritis (axSpA) criteria and the utility of replacement of radiographic sacroiliitis by structural lesions on MRI. Two well-calibrated readers scored MRI STIR (inflammation, MRI-SI), MRI T1-w images (structural lesions, MRI-SI-s) and radiographs of the sacroiliac joints (X-SI) of patients in the DEvenir des Spondyloarthrites Indifférenciées Récentes cohort (inflammatory back pain: ≥3 months, <3 years, age <50). A third reader adjudicated MRI-SI and X-SI discrepancies. Previously proposed cut-offs for a positive MRI-SI-s were used (based on <5% prevalence among no-SpA patients): erosions (E) ≥3, fatty lesions (FL) ≥3, E/FL ≥5. Patients were classified according to the ASAS axSpA criteria using the various definitions of MRI-SI-s. Of the 582 patients included in this analysis, 418 fulfilled the ASAS axSpA criteria, of which 127 patients were modified New York (mNY) positive and 134 and 75 were MRI-SI-s positive (E/FL≥5) for readers 1 and 2, respectively. Agreement between mNY and MRI-SI-s (E/FL≥5) was moderate (reader 1: κ: 0.39; reader 2: κ: 0.44). Using the E/FL≥5 cut-off instead of mNY classification did not change in 478 (82.1%) and 469 (80.6%) patients for readers 1 and 2, respectively. Twelve (reader 1) or ten (reader 2) patients would not be classified as axSpA if only MRI-SI-s was performed (in the scenario of replacement of mNY), while three (reader 1) or six (reader 2) patients would be additionally classified as axSpA in both scenarios (replacement of mNY and addition of MRI-SI-s). Similar results were seen for the other cut-offs (E≥3, FL≥3). Structural lesions on MRI can be used reliably either as an addition to or as a substitute for radiographs in the ASAS axSpA classification of patients in our cohort of patients with short symptom duration.

Bakker PA ，van den Berg R ，Lenczner G ，Thévenin F ，Reijnierse M ，Claudepierre P ，Wendling D ，Dougados M ，van der Heijde D ... -  《-》

Positive correlation between inflammation on sacroiliac joint MRI and serum C-terminal telopeptide of type-I collagen in ankylosing spondylitis but not in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Kang KY ，Jung JY ，Hong YS ，Ju JH ，Park SH ... -  《CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY》