Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder which affects the sacroiliac joints, the axial skeleton, peripheral joints as well as other organs. It develops in young adults causing significant mobility and functional disorders, with associated severe dysfunction or disability. Ankylosing spondylitis has serious adverse effects on the ability to work and quality of life. Biologic agents are used for the treatment of AS, this effect having multiple effects on lipid profile and cardiovascular risk.

Aim: The aim was to follow-up a group of AS patients as far as their mobility and functional ability, as well as to evaluate comorbidities, lipid profile and cardiovascular risk and to evaluate the effect of treatment on these parameters.

Methods: Questionnaires were used for the estimation of function and mobility, namely BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, health indices, namely BAS-G, ASAS-Health Index and a questionnaire of productivity and work-related productivity, namely WPAI:GH was utilized. The inflammation indices ESR and CRP were measured, as well as blood total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The 10-year cardiovascular risk was evaluated using SCORE.

Results: BASDAI index decreased from 3.91±0.67 before to 2.51±0.47 (mean±S.E.M.) after treatment in AS patients (P<0.001, Student’s t test), BASFI from 4.05±0.68 to 3.17±0.61 (P<0.001), BAS-G from 4.25±0.69 to 3.29±0.57 (P<0.001), ASAS-Health Index from 7.29±1.23 to 5.23±0.93 (P<0.001) and ESR from 16.12±3.4 mm/h to 12.41±2.9 mm/h (P<0.001). Total cholesterol increased from 113.52±20.26 mg/dl before to 193.41±8.81 mg/dl (P<0.001) after treatment, HDL cholesterol from 25.37±4.64 mg/dl to 54.06±4.74 mg/dl (P<0.001), LDL cholesterol from 69.52±13.02 mg/dl to 112.5±8.67 mg/dl (P<0.001) and triglycerides from 86.97±22.21 mg/dl to 138.65±23.91 mg/dl (P<0.001).

Conclusions: It appears that in AS indices of function and mobility as well as health indices improve after treatment, whereas the lipid profile is altered, without, however, an adverse effect on atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk.