A Study on Safety Profile and Clinical Outcomes of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Inhibitors in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in a Tertiary Care Centre
BACKGROUND:
The spondyloarthritides (SpA) comprises five subtypes: ankylosing spondylitis (AS), reactive arthritis (ReA), major parts of arthritis/spondylitis spectrum associated with psoriasis (PSO) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and undifferentiated SpA (uSpA). AS is the most frequent subtype of SpA, being more prevalent than undifferentiated SpA, but psoriatic arthritis (PsA), based on the high prevalence of psoriasis, is also quite frequent, while ReA and IBD are relatively rare. The prevalence of the whole group of SpA has been recently estimated as between 0.6 and 1.9% with an implicated AS prevalence of between 0.1 and 1.1%.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
To study the safety profile and clinical outcomes of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in a tertiary care hospital, Chennai.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
InPatients after obtaining informed consent are recruited. Laboratory tests include CBC, RFT, LFT, Mantoux, CT chest, HBsAg, Anti- HCV, HIV has done at the time of screening. In these patients are administered TNF-alpha inhibitors as per regular protocol, to determine the efficacy.
RESULTS:
Our study showed that mild tapering of TNFi had efficacy comparable with that of the standard-dose treatment in maintaining the optimal target in patients with axSpA who reached ASDAS-ID 1 year after TNFi treatment. Our study also shows with significant statistical values of ASDAS – ESR and BASDAI, TNF – INHIBITORS are both safe and efficacious in patients with Ankylosing spondylitis.
CONCLUSION:
Although this result should be confirmed with randomized studies in the future, it provides important real-world evidence for the universal recommendation of the tapering strategy
