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The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) is particularly challenging not only for doctors, but also for patients with inflammatory diseases, including spondyloarthritis. Although a large number of studies have been conducted over the past 2 years on the effect of COVID-19 on patients with rheumatic diseases, however, the conclusions from them are not always unambiguous. Given the growing number of cases of COVID-19 infection worldwide, there is a need to study the impact of individual diseases on its outcomes. The results of the study of COVID-19 in spondyloarthritis are limited to isolated reports of cases of the disease. Moreover, there is practically no literature devoted to the outcomes of COVID-19 exclusively in patients with axial spondyloarthritis. However, over the past few months, two large studies have been publishe d, in total, analyzing the outcomes of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in more than 14,000 patients with spondyloarthritis. The article discusses the results of these studies, the result of which is the conclusion that the presented data should convince both patients and doctors that axial spondyloarthritis and the therapy carried out for its treatment does not increase the risk of infection and does not aggravate the outcomes of COVID-19.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease with predominant involvement of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) and/or the spine. Despite the fact that the prevalence of axSpA is almost the same in men and women, there is evidence of a delay in diagnosis and a more severe course of the disease in females. The available reports on the progression of structural changes in the SIJ in men and women with early axSpA are contradictory. Meanwhile, the analysis of radiographic progression in the SIJ has fundamental importance both for timely diagnosis and for assessing the effectiveness of therapy in axSpA. Such studies have not yet been carried out in the Russian Federation.Objective: to assess the radiographic progression of sacroiliitis (SI) over 3 years in men and women with early axSpA.Material and methods. The study included patients from the cohort of early axSpA CORSAR, formed at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology. Currently, it includes 175 patients with axSpA. We analyzed the data of 64 patients, followed for at least 3 years. To assess the radiographic progression of the disease at baseline and after 3 years, the sum of X-ray stages of SI in the left and right SIJ was determined (the total stage of SI). Progression was assessed by the change in the total stage of SI in the right and left SIJ (0-8) during the observation period. We also calculated the proportion of patients with deterioration (increase in the total stage of SI by at least 1 stage), with improvement (decrease in the total stage of SI by at least 1 stage) and without progression. In order to fully exclude the error in measuring the radiographic progression of SI, we counted patients with “net” progression, that is, the proportion of patients with improvement was subtracted from the proportion of patients with deterioration.Results. Among 64 patients with early axSpA, there were 37 (57.8%) men and 27 (42.2%) women. For 3 years, the median of the total stage SI in men was 0 [0; 1], in women - 0 [0; 2] (p>0.05). When assessing the progression of the total stage SI over 3 years, no significant differences were found between the number of men and women with improvement, with deterioration, “net” progression and without progression. Men with early axSpA showed a higher level of C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline, women had higher BASDAI and ASDAS CRP values after 3 years. In 8% of patients, there was a regression of X-ray signs of SI.Conclusion. The radiographic progression of SI in patients with early axSpA does not depend on gender and disease activity. In some patients with early axSpA, reverse development of structural damage to the SIJ is possible.

Background. Recently, numerous studies have shown that TNFAIP3 gene polymorphisms have been associated with susceptibility to certain autoimmune inflammatory diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. However, the results of studies devoted to the study of associations between TNFAIP3 gene polymorphisms and the risk of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are ambiguous and few.The aim of the study was to study the possible association of hs10499194 polymorphism of the TNFAIP3 gene with a predisposition to AS and its clinical phenotypes.Material and methods. The rs10499194 S/T polymorphism of the TNFA1P3 gene was studied in two hundred patients with AS (130 men and 70 women). All patients were diagnosed with AS, according to the modified New York criteria, 1984 and high activity of the disease. Demographic and clinical-serological characteristics were studied in all patients. The average age of patients was 39.4±12.6 years; the average duration of the disease was 15.0±10.6 years. Out of 200 patients, 175 (87.5%) were seropositive for HLA-B27 antigen. Extra axial arthritis was detected in 125 (62.5%) patients, 148 (74.0%) had enthesitis, 137 (68.5%) had coxitis. The polymorphism rs10499194 of the TNFAIP3 gene was studied using an allelespecific polymerase chain reaction in real time (PCR-RV) using the Synthol kit.Results. The analysis of the frequencies of genotypes and alleles did not show significant differences with the control group. Stratification by sex, age, and clinical manifestations showed an association of the CT genotype with an increased risk of AS among men (OR=2.24; p=0.010), the TT genotype and the T allele with a high risk of predisposition to the development of extra axillary peripheral arthritis (OR=3.94; p=0.019 and OR=1.64; p=0.027 respectively). The BASDAI index was statistically significantly higher in carriers of the TT genotype compared to the CT genotype (p=0.002).Conclusion. The present study confirmed the association of the genetic polymorphism rs10499194 of the TNFAIP3 gene with AS. Stratification by gender and clinical manifestations showed an association of the CT genotype with an increased risk of AS among men, the TT genotype and the T allele with a high risk of predisposition to the development of extra axillary peripheral arthritis and a high BASDAI index in carriers of the TT genotype.

Alopecia areata (АA) is an autoimmune multifactorial disease characterized by increased hair loss as a result of morphological and functional changes in hair follicles. АA is divided into four main forms, among which the most severe is the universal form (UA), in which complete hair loss is possible throughout the body. Alopecia in the practice of a rheumatologist can occur with some systemic diseases of the connective tissue, with the use of high doses of chemotherapy drugs and, more recently, with the use of inhibitors of tumor necrosis factors alpha (TNF-α). The article presents 3 clinical cases of the development of UA during therapy with TNF-α. Possible mechanisms are discussed, as well as the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the development of this condition.

Objective. The aim of the investigation was to study the possible association of the rs7574865 polymorphism of the STAT4 gene with syndesmophytes (SMP) of the spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Subjects and methods. The study included a cohort of 100 patients, 79 men and 21 women with a diagnosis of AS.All patients were positive for the HLA-B27 antigen, had a mean age of 39.6±10.9 years and a mean disease duration of 60,4±28,4 months. The association of the rs7574865 polymorphism of the STAT4 gene with the SMP of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine was studied. For genotyping of the rs7574865 polymorphism, the method of allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in real time (RT-PCR) was used.Results. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a statistically significant positive relationship between SMP in the thoracic spine and rs7574865 polymorphism of the STAT4 gene (r=0.23; p=0.022). The frequency of GT genotype carriers in the group of patients with thoracic spine trSMP(+) was statistically significantly lower than in the alternative group trSMP(–) (28.2% and 50.8%, respectively; p=0.025). Carriage of the GT genotype in patients with AS reduced the risk of trSMP(+) formation in the thoracic spine (OR=0.31) and this genotype was protective. No reliably significant association of the studied polymorphism with SMP of the cervical and lumbar spine was found. Patients with trSMP(+) were statistically significantly older in age, had a longer duration of the disease and a higher functional BASFI index compared with patients without trSMP(–).Conclusion. Genetic testing of the rs7574865 G/T polymorphism of the STAT4 gene in patients with AS opens up the possibility of using this polymorphism as a genetic marker-predictor – X-ray progression of structural changes in the thoracic spine.

Coxitis is one of the most common extra-axial manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Most Russian studies consider hip joint (HJ) involvement in AS patients as a major factor of poor prognosis in this disease. All detected hip joint changes are characterized by one term «coxitis». Until recently, there has been no clarity on inflammation of which structures of HJ leads to its destruction. This problem can be solved by prospective studies. A start was made by the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology on the study of the evolution of coxitis in AS in 2013. This communication is devoted to the results initially identified by various imaging techniques for detecting HJ changes.Objective: to study the characteristics of HJ injury in AS, which have been detected by different imaging techniques.Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 125 AS patients, including 84 men (a male/female ratio of 2:1). The mean age of the patients was 31.4±9.1 years; the mean age at disease onset – 24.6±4.4 years; the median duration of AS at the time of examination – 96 (12–444) months. The HLA-B27 antigen was present in the majority of patients (94%). AS activity defined by ASDAS-CRP and BASDAI was high; BASFI scores averaged 3.4±2.1. All the patients underwent the following instrumental examinations: plain pelvis radiography, HJ ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Results and discussion. The clinical, ultrasound, and MRI signs of coxitis were found in 82, 75, and 88% of cases, respectively; coxitis was radiologically confirmed only in 50% of patients. This disease was diagnosed by several techniques in the vast majority of cases. The diagnosis of coxitis was based only on clinical signs in only three (2%) patients. In approximately every sixth (16%) patients with AS, who had clinical signs of coxitis, the latter was verified only by one of the instrumental techniques (ultrasonography, radiography, or MRI). Our findings demonstrated that more than half of patients had high coxitis activity, and more prolonged coxitis was responsible for higher X-ray HJ changes and functional limitations.Conclusion. Our study has showed that the instrumental techniques used to diagnose coxitis are not equivalent in evaluating HJ injury. To decide which of them is more effective in screening and predicting the course of coxitis, there is a need for further prospective investigations.

The review analyzes the foreign and Russian literature published in the past 30 years and devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of coxitis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The results of previous works have revealed the high rate of hip joint injury (HJI) in AS, but it is still unclear which diagnostic technique is the most sensitive for the early detection of coxitis. The latter has been shown to serve as one of the predictors of early disability in patients. The most studied treatment for coxitis is now HJI endoprosthesis, for which indications and contraindications have been clearly developed, while the question of drug therapy remains open.

The paper describes a case of a 36-year-old man with finger joint and bone damage that occurred a year and a half after severe frostbite.

The currently used methods for evaluating the progression of structural damages in early axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) are little suitable to real practice since they require specially trained radiologists and increase a patient's exposure to radiation due to the need for radiography of three regions of the axial skeleton. In addition, the first radiological bone changes in the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) appear only many years after the onset of the disease, the overlying spine areas are involved in the pathological process. Objective: to develop a method for evaluating the radiographic progression of sacroiliitis (SI) in early axSpA for real clinical practice. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled patients from the early spondyloarthritis cohort (ESAC) formed at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology. The current ESAC comprised 164 patients; the analysis included 68 patients who had been followed up for at least 2 years and had plain pelvic bone films at the inclusion in the cohort and at 2-year follow-up. To evaluate disease progression, the investigators used the sum of radiographic SI stages in the left and right SIJs (the summary stage of radiographic SI (ssrSI), which was calculated at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. A formula for determining the rate of radiographic progression was derived. Results and discussion. At baseline and at 2-year follow-up, the median ssrSI difference (ΔssrSI) in 68 patients was 0 [0; 1.0]. During the study period, almost 60% of the patients had no progression of ssrSI, i.e. ΔssrSI was 0 in these patients, 1 and 2 scores in 12 (18%) and 13 (19%) patients, respectively, and there were singly cases, in which this figure was equal to 3, 4 and 7. The mean value of ssrSI was 3.5±1.6 at baseline and increased by 0.8, reaching 4.3±1.5 at 2 years (p = 0.006). Before included into the investigation, the patients had a progression rate of 1.75 during 1 year, which decreased to 0.4 per year in the active follow-up period. At the time of inclusion in the study, 40 (58.8%) of the 68 patients had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and at 2 years their number increased to 51 (75.0%); i.e. 11 (39%) patients were observed to have progression of non-radiographic axSpA to AS. Conclusion. The proposed procedure to calculate ssrSI is easily feasible in real practice; it fails to lead to additional radiation exposure, is economically feasible, and allows one to monitor the rate of progression of axSpA in the early stage of the disease.

Objective: to compare the impact of continuous or on-demand use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the activity and radiographic progression of early axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled patients from the early spondyloarthritis cohort who met the 2009 Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for axSpA. This analysis included 68 patients who had been followed up for at least 24 months. The mean age at the time of inclusion in the investigation was 28.5±5.8 years; the mean disease duration was 24.1±15.4 months; 63 (92.6%) patients were HLA-B27-positive. The patients were divided into two groups: 1) 35 patients used NSAIDs at maximum therapeutic doses continuously during the follow-up period; 2) 33 patients received these drugs on-demand, depending on the presence and severity of back pain.Results and discussion. After 2-year follow-up, the median stage of radiographic sacroiliitis (SI) in Group 1 was unchanged and remained equal to 4; that in Group 2 in this period significantly increased from 3 to 4 scores (p < 0.05). At baseline, the patient groups did not differ in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP), and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI); however, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was higher in Group 1 (p < 0.05). The number of patients with active SI, as evidenced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the degree of its severity did not differ significantly between groups. After 2 years, all the patients retained low disease activity according to ASDAS-CRP, BASDAI, and CRP levels; and these measures did not differ significantly between groups either; the BASFI became higher in Group 1. MRI findings indicated that the number of patients with active SI decreased, but no differences were found between the groups.Conclusion. In patients with early axSpA, the continuous intake of NSAIDs can slow radiographic progression to a greater extent than their on-demand use.

Objective: to clarify pregnancy outcomes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its course during pregnancy on the basis of a retrospective analysis.Subjects and methods. The paper presents the results of Stage 1 of a Russian pilot study of the impact of pregnancy on AS activity, parity, and pregnancy outcomes in these patients. The basis for Stage 1 is the results of a retrospective analysis of the data of a questionnaire survey of 204 women with AS, during which they answered 19 questions regarding the presence of pregnancies and their outcomes, the reasons for the lack of pregnancies, and a subjective assessment of their health status during gestation. The respondents’ mean age was 32.0±5.8 years; the mean disease duration was 107.2±73.5 months.Results and discussion. 84 (41.1%) women did not have pregnancies; the reasons for the lack of pregnancies were associated with AS (fear of the teratogenic effect of taken drugs; a child’ inheritance of the disease) in 48.8% of the cases, with infertility in 9.5%, and with non-medical reasons in 41.7%. A total of 120 (58.9%) women had 248 pregnancies; of whom 136 patients had the latter before and 112 – after the onset of AC. In AS versus a healthy life period, there were lower abortion rates at a woman’s will (8.9 and 35.3%, respectively; p < 0.01), more pregnancies that resulted in childbirth (75.9 and 52.2%, respectively; p < 0.01), and higher surgical delivery rates (43.5 and 28.2%, respectively; p < 0.05). The premature birth rate after the onset of AC was 13.0%. The newborn infants born before the onset of AS in mothers did not differ from those born after the onset of AS in mothers in weight and Apgar scores. Half of the respondents reported that their health status was improved in any trimester of pregnancy (slightly more often in the first trimester; but the difference was statistically insignificant). However, almost 70.0% of the respondents noted their worse health status during pregnancy, the severity of AS symptoms increased with a gestational period.Conclusion. The reason for the lack of pregnancies in almost half of the patients with AS is associated with their subjective fear of the negative impact of the disease and therapy on a child’s future health. In AS versus a healthy life period, surgical deliveries are performed more frequently. The neonatal outcomes of pregnancies do not differ before and after the onset of AS.

Etanercept (ETC), a soluble tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) receptor, was registered for the treatment of spondyloarthritis in the Russian Federation in 2009. By now, results of prolonged treatment with this drug have been obtained in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Objective: to evaluate the efficiency and tolerability of long-term therapy with ETC in patients with AS.Subjects and methods. The follow-up included 60 patients with a documented diagnosis of AS (the 1984 New York criteria) and/or axial spondyloarthritis (the 2009 ASAS criteria), high activity (BASDAI >4), who received long-term (at least a year) regular therapy with subcutaneous ETC 50 mg weekly. Its effect was evaluated using the ASAS criteria.Results and discussion. ETC was the first TNF-α inhibitor used in 29 (48%) patients, including 22 (76%) patients who achieved partial remission; 7 (24%) patients who showed ASAS40 improvement. One patient was observed to have hepatotoxicity (alanine aminotransferase elevation to 72 U/l), therefore the drug was discontinued. 31 (52%) patients were switched to ETC after infliximab (n=24) or adalimumab (n=7) due to their poor tolerance and/or loss of effect. At the same time, ETC became the second anti-TNF-α drug in 21 (35%) patients and the third one in 10 (17%). During the therapy, 21 (68%) patients switched to ETC were noted to have ASAS40 improvement; 9 (29%) patients had partial remission. The insufficient effect of the drug was observed only in one patient (3%), in whom ETC was the third TNF-α inhibitor. The tolerability of ETC was generally satisfactory after switching from anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Three patients developed de novo psoriasis that required therapy discontinuation in one patient; another male patient developed uveitis for the first time. In one female patient with AS associated with Crohn’s disease with loss of mAb effect, ETC became the third anti-TNF-α drug, during therapy with which there was no exacerbation of Crohn’s disease. The drug was well tolerated and highly effective in 8 patients, in whom ETC treatment was initiated at the age of 60 years and older: 6 (75%) achieved partial remission, 2 (25%) had ASAS40 improvement. Nine patients with previous and/or latent tuberculosis had no exacerbation of this disease during ETC therapy.Conclusion. During regular therapy with ETC, more than half of patients (52%) achieved partial remission according to the ASAS criteria, while this was more frequently achieved when the drug was used for the first time (76%) than when mAbs were switched to ETC (29%). Discontinuation of the latter due to adverse events was required only in 2 (3%) patients.

The paper gives the definition of remission in axial spondyloarthritides (axSpA), which has been developed by the Spondyloarthritis Study Group of Experts. The work used the Delphi technique. At stage 1, based on the analysis of the data available in the literature and on their own clinical experiences, the experts proposed some variants of the definition of remission and ways of its evaluation in patients with axSpA. At Stage 2, the definitions that had received at least 80% of the votes via anonymous voting were selected and adopted without further discussion. Those that had received an equal number of votes were reconsidered and additionally discussed; then there was repeat voting, by choosing the final definition. As a result of their discussion, the experts formulated the definitions of clinical laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remissions. They proposed the following remissions in axSpA: drug and drug-free, clinical laboratory, and MRI remissions, as well as a remission in the presence and absence of structural changes in the locomotor system, as evidenced by imaging techniques. Criteria for clinical laboratory remission and basic tools for its evaluation that can be used in real clinical practice and researches have been elaborated.

Telemedicine, including mobile applications for patients, is progressing rapidly now. However, patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) still have no applications that can be used to monitor their health status independently and to contact their physician remotely. Objective: to develop and test an «ASpine» mobile application for smartphones in real clinical practice. Material and methods. The draft «ASpine» mobile application has two parts: a mobile application for patient and a personal computer program used by a rheumatologist to monitor disease activity in patients. The patient part of «ASpine» consists in filling out the BASDAI and BASFI questionnaires and monitoring how recommendations for daily exercise therapy and medications are fulfilled. There is also an opportunity for constant contact with the physician through the mobile application. The patients from the Moscow cohort CoESAr (Cohort of Early SpondyloArthritis) which was made up at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2013 and is being formed to the present time took part in mobile application testing. Results and discussion. The mean scores of BASDAI at inclusion and after 12-month follow-up were 3.3±1.7 and 2.1±1.7 (p > 0.5) and those of BASFI were 1.6±1.3 and 1.3±1.2, respectively (p > 0.5). To analyze the health status of 35 patients, one doctor requires 1 min daily if there are no reports of their worse health. It takes an average of 5–8 min to make a decision if the patient reports the occurrence of any symptom or an adverse reaction. The findings can lead to the conclusion that the «ASpine» mobile application allows patients to independently monitor disease activity, to store medical records, and to contact their physician remotely. Continuous monitoring of the patient's condition makes it possible to maintain low disease activity or remission for a long time.

The paper gives recommendations for the drug therapy of axial spondyloarthritides, which have been developed by the Spondyloarthritis Study Group of Experts. The recommendations describe the patient management tactic in the most common clinical situations, which is aimed at maximizing the efficacy and safety of treatment.

The communication briefly presents the updated version of treat-to- target (T2T) recommendations for spondyloarthritides.

Involvement of the aorta and heart valves in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a manifestation of the systemic inflammatory process. Data on the frequency, clinical significance, and evolution of these manifestations are controversial.Objective: to estimate the time course of echocardiographic (EchoCG) changes in the aorta and heart valves from the results of a prospective follow-up study of patients with AS.Subjects and methods. In 2008 to 2015, the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology followed up 45 patients (35 men and 10 women) with documented AS that was consistent with the modified New York criteria and the original EchoCG changes in the aorta and heart valves. All the patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography at baseline and after 1–5 years. At baseline, there was aortic root dilatation (>37 mm) in 15 patients, thickening of the aortic walls and aortic valve (AV) cusps in 21 and 32 patients, respectively, as well as thickening of the mitral valve (MV) cusps in 15, and valve prostheses in 5 patients (2 had AV and MV prostheses). Aortic regurgitation (AR) was recorded in 19 patients (grades 1–2 AR in 15 patients and grades 3–4 in 4 patients); grades 1–2 mitral regurgitation (MR) was seen in 20 patients. Ten patients had subaortic pectinate thickening (SPT) in the aortomitral junction area. Of the 45 patients, 16 took biological agents (BA); 29 received traditional therapy, including 14 patients who used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 11 and 4 patients had sulfasalazine and methotrexate, respectively.Results and discussion.Repeated examinations revealed negative changes in 27 (60%) of the 45 patients. Progressive aortic dilatation (1 to 6 mm) was found in 12 (80%) of the 15 patients; dilatation appeared during follow-up in 2 patients. Fourteen patients were noted to have negative valve changes: the emergence of cusp thickening in the valves (that in AV and MV in 9 and 4 patients, respectively; both in 1 patient). Four patients underwent valve replacement: 3 and 1 patients underwent AV and MV replacements, respectively. Ten of the 19 patients were observed to have AR progression by 2 grades in 2 (10.5%) patients and by one grade in 8 (42.0%) patients. MR progression by one grade was noted in 6 (30.0%) of the 20 people. A negative correlation was found between BA therapy and aortic dilation progression (r = -0.329; p = 0.03). SPT appeared in 3 patients. Of the 10 patients who had a baseline SPT, its reduction (8 to 3.5 mm) was seen in one patient; complete regression was identified in two patients; all received BAs. Thus, pathological changes in the aorta and heart valves in AS are progressive in most patients. SPT may regress, which reflects apparently a reduction in the severity of active inflammation of the aortic root. Active anti-inflammatory treatment may play a protective role in the progression of aortic dilatation.

The paper gives the recommendations for the assessment of disease activity and functional status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in clinical practice, which have been developed by experts, by taking into account international and Russian experience in managing these patients.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic inflammatory disease involving not only the skeleton, but also other organs. The data on the frequency and clinical significance of extraskeletal manifestations are contradictory. Objective: to assess the frequency and severity of extraskeletal manifestations (ESMs) of AS in the authors' own clinical practice. Subjects and methods. 452 patients (363 men and 89 women) with AS fulfilling the 1984 relevant New York criteria were examined at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2005 and 2014. The patients' median age was 31.5 [24; 41] years; median disease onset age, 19 [15; 23] years; disease duration, 11 [7; 18] years; HLA B27 was identified in 442 (97.7%) patients. In addition to standard laboratory and instrumental examinations, transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 172 patients. Rehberg's test, IgA test, histological examination of subcutaneous fat tissue or duodenal mucosa for amyloid, and renal ultrasound were made if there were urinary abnormalities and elevated creatinine levels. If indicated, there were consultations by an ophthalmologist with an appropriate instrumental examination (with evidence of uveitis in the history), a dermatologist, a nephrologist, an urologist, a gastroenterologist, and a endoscopist. Uveitis, cardiac involvement (conduction disturbance, aortic and valvular changes), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), glomerulonephritis, and psoriasis were borne in mind as ESMs. The absolute number and percentage of patients having any ESM over the follow-up period were estimated. The number of exacerbations per year and that of complications were taken into account when evaluating uveitis; the magnitude of valvular regurgitation and the presence of prosthetic valves and a pacemaker were considered when assessing cardiac damage; the total body surface area (BSA) and the psoriasis areas and severity index (PASI) were estimated in psoriasis; the presence and stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or macrohematuria were kept in mind in nephropathy; when evaluating IBD, the Harvey–Bradshaw index (HBI) was determined on the basis of a stool frequency, the presence of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and general well-being. Results and discussion. ESMs were detected in 218 (48%) of the 452 patients. Uveitis was present in 140 (30%) patients; in one-fourth of them, it relapsed frequently: three or more exacerbations per year and more than 10 during the disease; 41 (29%) patients had uveitis complications accompanied by visual impairment. Cardiac conduction disturbance was revealed in 61 (13%) patients. Five of them underwent pacemaker implantation. 71 (41.2%) patients were found to have aortic and valvular changes, including aortic root dilatation/thickening in 60 (34.8%) patients and aortic/mitral valve leaflet thickening in 63 (36.6%). Grades 3 and 4 valvular regurgitation was noted in 10 (5.8%) patients; valve replacement was carried out in 9 (5.2%) cases. Nephritis was diagnosed in 16 (3.5%) patients, 4 of them had Stage 2 or above of CKD. Psoriasis was present in 17 (3.7%) patients; 2 of them had severe psoriasis (BSA >10%). IBD (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) was diagnosed in 16 (3.5%) patients, including 4 who showed a severe course. 79 (36%) patients were observed to have a concurrence of two or more ESMs; that of uveitis and heart disease was most commonly seen. Conclusion. ESMs are observed in nearly half (48%) of the patients with AS and can be concurrent; the most common ESMs of AS are uveitis, aortic root and heart valve lesions, and cardiac conduction disturbance. ESMs worsen the course and prognosis of AS.

The article summarizes the data of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) Phase III MEASURE 1 and MEASURE 2 investigating the efficacy and safety of secukinumab (SEC) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and compares the data with the results obtained from Russian patients with active AS, who were enrolled in these RCTs.Subjects and methods. Among 590 patients included in the MEASURE 1 and MEASURE 2 trials, the Russian group totaled 107 patients: 44 and 29 patients took SEC in the MEASURE 1 and MEASURE 2 trials, respectively; 34 patients had placebo in the two trials.Results and discussion. A retrospective analysis of the results for the Russian patient group showed that the efficacy of SEC in treating AS was fully similar to that demonstrated in the entire MEASURE 1 and MEASURE 2 group cohort. At 1 to 16 weeks of SEC therapy, the MEASURE 1 trial Russian patients displayed a rapid clinical improvement in 52.6% (p = 0.043); and in the SEC 150- and 75-mg groups, ASAS20 improvement was achieved by 64% (p = 0.0015), respectively. The SEC 150-mg group in the MEASURE 2 trial exhibited an ASAS20 response in 66.7% of cases (p = 0.0063). The clinical response at 16 weeks in the patients randomized at baseline into SEC treatment groups was sustained for 52 weeks. The proportion of patients achieving ASAS20 response at 52 weeks was 63.2 and 68% in the MEASURE 1 trial (in the SEC 150- and 75-mg groups, respectively) and 73.3% in the MEASURE 2 trial (the SEC 150-mg group). At 52 weeks, ASAS40 reponse was achieved by 52.6% of the patients in the MEASURE 1 trial and by 60% of those in the MEASURE 2 trial (the SEC 150-mg group). In the MEASURE 1 trial, ASAS 5/6 response rates at 16 weeks were 42.1 and 52.0% in the SEC 150- and 75-mg groups (p = 0.0249 and p = 0.0013, respectively). In the MEASURE 2 trial, the proportion of the SEC 150-mg group patients achieving ASAS 5/6 response was 53.3% (p=0.0135). After 52 weeks, these rates were 57.9, 52, and 73.3%, respectively. The adverse reactions observed in both the placebo-controlled and later follow-up periods and in the Russian patient cohort suggest that SEC has an acceptable safety profile and good tolerability in patients with AC.

At present, there are a number of unsolved problems associated with unawareness of the causes and ways to prevent the inefficacy of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors.Objective: to study the causes of secondary inefficacy of infliximab (INF), by analyzing its concentrations and antidrug antibody levels in the serum of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients receiving long INF, as well as a possibility to overcome its secondary inefficacy through plasmapheresis.Subjects and methods. 54 patients with active AS (BASDAI > 4) underwent regular long-term (1-to-10-year) treatment with INF 5 mg/kg according to the standard scheme. During the therapy blood samples were taken before a regular INF infusion to quantify the levels of antibodies to the drug and its concentration. According to the efficiency of the drug, two groups were formed: 1) 27 (50%) patients with INF inefficacy (an exacerbation occurred 2–4 weeks after infusion); 2) 27 patients with drug efficacy. The levels of anti-double stranded DNA antibodies and antinuclear factor were estimated in 27 patients to investigate a relationship between the immunogenicity of INF and the presence of autoantibodies in its secondary inefficacy. A plasmapheresis session was carried out in 5 patients before a regular IFN infusion.Results and discussion. Anti-INF antibodies were found in 28 (52%) patients, these being more common in the patients with drug inefficacy than in the others (67 and 37%, respectively; p < 0.05). In the patients with INF inefficacy, anti-INF antibody levels were significantly higher than in those with preserved drug effect (18.33 and 4.67 U/ml, respectively; р < 0.05). Moreover, the serum concentration of INF was not significantly different in these groups (1.6 and 2.96 μg/ml). There was an inverse correlation between INF concentrations and anti-INF antibodies (r = -0.7; p < 0.05). The level of autoantibodies did not correlate with that of anti-INF antibodies. Following plasmapheresis, the level of anti-INF antibodies dropped in all the patients and the concentration of the drug increased in only three of the five patients; in two of them anti-INF antibody levels were initially low (p < 0.05). Plasmapheresis promoted a short-term restoration of INF efficacy no matter what the baseline level of anti-INF antibodies. Conclusion. The secondary inefficacy of INF may be associated with not only the emergence of its neutralizing antibodies and the reduction in serum drug concentration, but also with other yet unknown causes. There is a need for further investigation of the causes of secondary INF insufficiency and methods for its overcoming.

The rate of osteoporosis (OP) and the mechanism of its development in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other spondyloarthrititides (SpA) have not been sufficiently investigated. Steady-state inflammatory disease activity is anticipated to be the leading factor of OP in AS.Objective: to investigate lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with early axial SpA (axSpA) and to reveal its association with inflammatory disease activity.Subjects and methods. A total of 150 patients (59 men and 91 women) aged 18 to 45 years with inflammatory back pain for ≥3 months and ≤5 years were examined. The diagnosis of axSpA was established in accordance with the 2009 ASAS criteria. BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP were used to assess activity and functional status was evaluated with BASFI. The examination included determination of HLA-B27, X-ray of the pelvis and LS, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sacroiliac joints, LS, and hip joints (in the presence of clinical signs of their involvement), and densitometry of LS (LI–IV) and FN. By taking into account the patients’ young age, the Z score was used to estimate BMD. The Z-score -2 SD or lower in at the least one of the regions examined is considered to be diminished BMD. Results and discussion. The median Z-score was -0.7 [-1.3; -0.2] SD for FN and -0.9 [-1.6; -0.6] SD for LS. Reduced BMD in at the least one of the regions examined was diagnosed in 27 (18.0%) patients. There was lower BMD in LS in 21 (14.0%) patients and in FN in 8 (5.3%). Two (1.3%) patients were diagnosed as having osteopenia in the two examined regions. There was no association between diminished BMD and age, gender, disease activity assessed with BASDAI, ASDAS-СRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). An association was found between inflammatory LS changes, as evidenced by MRI (MRI spondylitis), and reduced BMD in at least one of the examined regions. MRI spondylitis was detected in 27 (18.0%) patients. Decreased BMD in any of the examined skeletal regions was seen in 9 (33.3%) of the 27 patients having MRI spondylitis; the remaining 18 (66.7%) patients had normal BMD values. In the absence of MRI spondylitis, osteopenia was identified in 18 (14.6%) patients; normal BMD values were noted in 105 (85.4%); p = 0.03). There was also a relationship between the presence of MRI spondylitis and diminished BMD in the same region. LS osteopenia was found in 7 (25.9%) patients with MRI spondylitis and LS BMD remained within the normal range in 20 (74.1%). In the absence of MRI spondylitis, LS osteopenia was observed in 14 (11.4%) patients and LS BMD was normal in 109 (88.6%) (p < 0.05).Conclusion. There was an association between inflammatory LS changes, as evidenced by MRI, and reduced BMD in the same region. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that bone mass loss in the vertebral bodies in early axSpA results from local inflammation.

The paper briefly describes the history of spondyloarthritis studies from the works of the outstanding Russian neurologist V.M. Bekhterev up to the present time. Special emphasis is laid on the results of the representatives of the scientific school of Professor E.R. Agababova, an organizer of the first laboratory of spondyloarthritis in Russia. The major areas of the investigations that are currently under way in Russia are shown.

Relapsing uveitis is a serious problem for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors significantly reduce the frequency of uveitis attacks in AS patients, but they are not always available. In this connection, it is appropriate to evaluate the effect of traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on the course of uveitis in AS.Objective: to compare the frequency of uveitis attacks in AS during combined therapy using sulfasalazine (SULF) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) versus monotherapy with NSAIDs.Subjects and methods. A total of 111 patients with significant AS who had at least one uveitis attack during the disease were examined. 49 subjects received combined therapy including SULF 2 grams daily and NSAIDs for at least 1 year. Six of the 49 patients were noted to have frequently relapsing uveitis (above 3 episodes yearly); 43 had no more than 3 ones per year. The remaining 62 patients took NSAIDs only throughout the follow-up period. Nine of them had an average of 3 uveitis attacks per year; 53 had no more than 3 ones per year. Out of the 49 patients receiving combined therapy with NSAIDs and SULF, 23 took NSAIDs only at least 1 year before SULF use; 10 of them were observed to have frequent relapses in that period and 13 had three or fewer episodes.Results and discussion. The entire group showed an average of 2.06±2.04 uveitis attacks per year during monotherapy with NSAIDs and 1.41±1.83 attacks yearly during combined therapy with NSAIDs and SULF (p = 0.08). Among the patients with less than 3 uveitis attacks per year, the mean number of episodes was significantly fewer during combined therapy than during NSAID monotherapy: 0.99±0.87 and 1.37±0.91, respectively (p = 0.04). Among those with frequently relapsing uveitis (more than 3 attacks per year), the mean number of episodes yearly was not significantly different during NSAID monotherapy and combined therapy: 5.7±2.5 and 5.5±2.7, respectively (p = 0.9). In a subgroup of patients receiving sequentially NSAID monotherapy and combined therapy with NSADs and SULF, 13 patients with three or fewer baseline attacks per year displayed a significant reduction in the frequency of episodes from 1.92±0.96 to 0.4±0.44 (p = 0.00003). During combined therapy versus monotherapy, 10 patients with frequently relapsing uveitis (over 3 episodes yearly) exhibited an insignificant reduction in the number of relapses from 5.9±3.02 to 5.33±1.1 (p = 0.6).Conclusion. Combined therapy with SULF and NSAIDs does not substantially affect the frequency of uveitis episodes in AS patients with frequently relapsing uveitis (above 3 attacks per year), but significantly reduces the number of episodes among patients with its mild course (less than 3 attacks yearly).

Guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) lack muscle relaxants. At the same time, the latter are used for combined therapy using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in 53.1% of patients in an outpatient setting. No clear recommendations make the administration of these agents uncontrolled, on the one hand, and substantially restrict therapeutic possibilities, on the other.Objective: to investigate the short-term effect and safety of using tolperisone hydrochloride (THC, Mydocalm®) in patients with AS during group therapeutic exercise (TE).Subjects and methods. The investigation included 40 patients aged over 18 years with a valid diagnosis of AS who had been treated at the Clinic of the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology and agreed to participate in the study. All the patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups: 1) 20 patients used NSAIDs in combination with TE; 2) 20 patients received NSAIDs, TE, and THC 450 mg/day. The groups were matched for age, gender, disease duration, and functional impairments. Before and after completion of the investigation, the investigators estimated BASDAI, BASFI, patient-rated numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), patient-rated TE performance scores (NPRS, where 0 (very effective), 10 (ineffective), THC tolerance monitoring (consideration of adverse events). Spinal motility was evaluated using BASMI and chest excursion measurement.Results and discussion. During TE, both groups showed a significant increase in the volume of movements (p < 0.03), when measuring chest excursion and carrying out modified Schober's test, a decrease in BASDAI (p < 0.01) and BASFI (p < 0.009), as well as a reduction in patient-rated overall disease activity assessment (p < 0.02) as compared to the baseline values. At the same time the modified Schober test revealed that the increase in motility was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p < 0.05). During the follow-up, the patient-rated evaluation of TE efficiency remained significantly unchanged in Group 1 whereas at the end of the study it significantly increased in Group 2 as compared to the baseline values (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the groups in the time course of changes in BASDAI and BASFI. When performing the BASMI tests, there was an intensive increment in the volume of movements after the third TE lesson. The increment occurred saltatorily in Group 1, but more rapidly and evenly in Group 2. No serious adverse events were recorded in Group 2 during the investigation. Conclusion. Incorporation of THC into the treatment of patients with AS contributes to the enhanced efficiency of TE. There is a need for further investigations to study the use of muscle relaxants, including THC, in AS in order to elaborate recommendations on how to administer this class of drugs for this disease.

The paper gives the draft guidelines elaborated by the Expert Spondyloarthritis Diagnosis and Treatment Group by order of the Association of Rheumatologists of Russia. The guidelines include the essentials of how to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in axial spondyloarthrititides, including ankylosing spondylitis, contain instructions for how long they should be administered, and describe possible patient management tactics in the most common clinical situations and a preferential algorithm for evaluating the efficiency and safety of treatment.

The literature virtually lacks the results of investigations aimed to study the clinical picture of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the real practice of rheumatologists in Russia. At the same time, these investigations may give information on not only the epidemiological aspects of the disease, but also a variety of its clinical presentation, its social importance, allow evaluation of the efficiency of therapy, and plan a system of further health care costs.Subjects and methods. In early 2015, the cross-sectional multicenter non-interventional trial EPICA2 was conducted to refine the clinical picture of AS in the real practice of a rheumatologist. The trial involved 402 patients with AS from 10 centers of Russia. The patients were examined using the international standards accepted for this disease. Results and discussion. 180 out of the 402 patients were treated in hospital; the others were examined during outpatient visits. The patients' mean age was 40.8±11.5 years; there were 292 (72.6%) men; 82.6% were HLA-B27 positive. The average age of onset was 27.6 years; the interval between symptom onset and diagnosis was 85.2 months. The rheumatologists established the diagnosis in 87.3% of the cases. BASDAI and BASFI averaged 4.3±2.1 and 4.1±1.8, respectively. At the trial, there was peripheral arthritis in 33.1% of the patients, enthesitis in 37.1%, and dactylitis in 1.2%. Joint endoprosthesis was carried out in 4.7% of the patients. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (25.1%), gastric ulcer (9.7%), coronary heart disease (4.0%), and diabetes mellitus (3.0%).Conclusion. AS is diagnosed in real practice more than 7 years after its onset mainly by rheumatologists.The delay of the diagnosis is mostly associated with the fact that specialists of other medical specialties are unaware of the clinical presentation of the disease. The examined group of patients with AS shows a relatively high activity and obvious functional impairments, which is primarily related to the specific features of patient selection in this trial.

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Congress (EULAR-15) was held in Rome on 10–13 June 2015. One of the most important aspects of the Congress was the problem of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Reports on the pathogenesis of SpA, including a relationship between the inflammatory processes and the mechanisms of bone proliferation, occupied a prominent place in the program of the Congress. The fundamental importance of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 17 (IL17)/IL23, for SpA was the subject of wide speculation. As in previous years, many reports were dedicated to the early diagnosis of SpA, the comparison of different SpA classification criteria, and the progression of non-radiographic axial SpA to ankylosing spondylitis. Much time was devoted to the results of the latest studies visualizing sacroiliitis and spondylitis.

Therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a challenge for a physician, primarily because of a small number of therapeutic alternatives. Interleukin-17 (IL17), a novel promising therapeutic target, has been recently disclosed. The first representative of the new group of drugs – anti-IL17A monoclonal antibodies (secukinumab) has emerged, which allows expanding therapeutic opportunities for this disease. Trials have shown that secukinumab is effective in treating AS, has low immunogenicity and its safety profile does not virtually differ from that of placebo.

The Congress considered the issues pertinent to the latest approaches to therapy for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), as well as the problems associated with a search for axSpA-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Reports on the results of therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and biological agents (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin 17/23 inhibitors) were of the most relevance.

The paper provides guidelines for the use of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors in the treatment of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), including ankylosing spondylitis. It gives data on the efficacy of TNF-α inhibitors in patients with non-radiographic axSpA. By using international and Russian guidelines, the authors lay down indications for this therapy and criteria for evaluation of its efficiency and safety.

Until recently there is no clarity in the nosological independence of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nraxSpA). Cohort studies can assist in solving this problem. In 2013, the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology started to form a Cost and Resource utilization Study in Antiretroviral treated patients (CoRSaR) cohort to investigate the evolution of nr-axSpA and treatment policy for this condition. This communication deals with the preliminary results of a 12-month follow-up study of the CoRSaR cohort.Subjects and methods. The cohort was recruited from all consecutive patients with a < 5-year history of nr-axSpA who sought for medical advice and treatment. The patients were examined in accordance with the Ankylosing Spondylitis Assessments (ASAS) International Working Group guidelines at inclusion and after 12 months.A total of 94 patients with axSpA were enrolled; 54 patients out of them were included into a preliminary analysis of the evolution of axSpA; their mean age at inclusion was 27.1±5.5 years and the mean disease duration was 22.4±15.1 months; 49 (90.7%) patients were HLA-B27 positive. 31 of the 54 patients had ankylosing spondylitis(AS) and 23 had nr-axSpA.Results and discussion. The patients with AS and those with nr-axSpA showed virtually no difference in main clinical parameters, such as the presence of arthritis, enthesitis, BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, and BASFI. By the end of the 12month follow-up, both groups virtually displayed almost a double reduction in all inflammatory markers but erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Nine (39%) patients with nr-axSpA developed radiographic sacroiliitis over 12 months and the diagnosis of AS was confirmed.Conclusion. 39% patients with nr-axSpA developed radiographic sacroiliitis at the 12-month follow-up. Nr-axSpA should be regarded as an early stage of AS.

The analysis covering the five-year period (2010–2014) showed that the adult population of the Russian Federation showed increases in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), estimated per 100,000 population, by 5%, in that of spondylopathies (SP), osteoarthritis (OA), and osteoporosis (OP) by 32.2, 12.1, 7.3%, respectively, and an 8.6% decrease in that of only reactive arthropathies (ReA); the incidence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and systemic connective tissue diseases was virtually unchanged with increment of 1.3 and 0.3%, respectively. Our attention is engaged by the high incidence of RA (300.7) in the North Caucasian (NC) Federal District (FD) with a considerable increment (+30%) over the 5 years and by that in the Volga (V) FD throughout the analyzed period (342.4 in 2014). The incidence of SP higher than Russia's average was noted in the NCFD (124.5) with a 48.4% increment by 2014 and in the Far Eastern FD (136.1 with a 47.5% increment); and that was especially high in the Crimean (C) FD (380.0). The incidence of ReA remained constantly high in the NCFD (as high as 129.0 in 2014); on the contrary, it turned out to be very low in the CFD (7.8%). Only the NCFD showed a higher than average incidence of PsA (59.0) throughout the analyzed period in Russia. In 2014 the incidence of OA below Russia's average was seen in the NCFD (1893.3) and CFD (1875.8). The high incidence of OP was observed in the Ural (148.9) and Siberian (228.2) FDs. At the same time it was low in a number of FDs: the Southern FD (54.1), NCFD (68.7), and VFD (89.9) and very low in CFD (36.7).

As of now, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ranks high in the early diagnosis of inflammatory changes in the musculoskeletal system. The uniqueness of MRI is that this diagnostic technique can detect the signs of active and inactive inflammation at the pre-radiological stage of the disease, i.e. before the onset of radiological symptoms of sacroiliitis and the formation of spinal syndesmophytes. At the same time there is evidence that there is a temporary association between active inflammation and the development of radiological changes in the joints.The detection of bone marrow edema in the subchondral portions of bone tissue is of great importance not only for diagnosing the disease and verifying inflammatory activity, but also for predicting the development of chronic arthritis, choosing a treatment option, and evaluating the efficiency of performed therapy.Based on their long-term experience, the authors provided explanations of the MRI pattern of active and inactive chronic sacroiliitis and spondylitis, which can considerably facilitate the early diagnosis of injury to the sacroiliac joints and vertebral column in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, spondyloarthritis studies have accumulated a certain number of terms that are obsolete, but used by physicians in their everyday speech, on the one hand, and a great variety of different definitions, on the other hand. In January 2014, the first organizational meeting of the Expert Group on Spondyloarthritis, Association of Rheumatologists of Russia, decided that its primary task should be to order the terminology used in this area. The authors primarily collected the terms, which had been already used in medical vocabulary, and then divided them into two categories: obsolete definitions and terms to be finalized and unified. This publication gives guidelines for using the medical terms relevant to spondyloarthritis and separately discusses how to correctly write the term sacroiliitis.

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is one of the types of spondyloarthritis. According to the statistics reports by the Ministry of Health of Russia, the prevalence of ReA in 2013 was 42.8 per 100,000 adult population, 99, and 172.4 per 100,000 children aged 0–14 and 15–17 years, respectively. There is a wide scatter of ReA detection rates in both the federal districts and subjects of the Russian Federation, which may be associated with both the spread of sexually transmitted infections, asymptomatic trigger Chlamydia infection, and overdiagnosis of ReA.

Coxitis is one of the characteristic clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Hip joint (HJ) damage in AS is regarded as a poor prognostic factor and the early detection of coxitis is of great importance, as timely adequate therapy may reduce the risk of irreversible HJ changes. Coxitis may be diagnosed clinically and using different imaging techniques, each of which can characterize different aspects of damage of these joints. The lecture considers the clinical and instrumental diagnosis of coxitis in AS.

The paper gives the results of the RAPID-axSpA study that has evaluated for the first time the efficacy of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor certolizumab pegol (CZP) in treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) clinical forms: already developed ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axSpA. CZP was shown to be effective in all forms of axSpA, whether radiographically detected sacroiliitis was present or absent. This study has also demonstrated for the first time the long-term efficacy of TNF-α inhibitors in patients with initially high C-reactive protein level and/or signs of active sacroiliitis by magnetic resonance imaging.

The paper briefly discusses the history of spondyloarthritis (SpA) from the article published by J. Moll et al. in 1974 to the present day. The discussion of the recent SpA concept proposed by the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS), which divides this group of diseases into axial and peripheral types, by elaborating the appropriate criteria, holds a special position. This division could rapidly introduce the principles of early diagnosis of axial SpA on the one hand; however, it hinders their investigation as a genetically and clinically associated spectrum of diseases on the other hand.

The paper analyzes the main problems associated with randomized controlled studies in medical rehabilitation: patient selection; use of simulation devices as placebo; standardization of methods; blinding procedure. It presents methodological considerations for improving the quality of studies.

Hip joint injury, coxitis, is a characteristic manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis. Coxitis therapy has not been elaborated so far. There are few publications on the efficacy of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors. Alternative pharmacotherapies, including use of methotrexate, have not fully been studied. The study describes clinical cases of coxitis treated in patients with early spondyloarthritis.

At present, the problem of reactive arthritis (ReA) remains relevant in rheumatology. This is due to rather high prevalence of the disease primarily in Russia, which cannot but alarm. Analysis of epidemiological findings suggests a number of possible explanations for variability of ReA incidence rates in some regions of the Russian Federation and other countries. The lecture details the clinical presentations of the disease and analyzes the significance of different laboratory procedures aimed at detecting the pathogen of ReA. It presents Russian diagnostic criteria for ReA. It also sets forth basic approaches to ReA therapy with emphasis on the use of antimicrobial drugs. The efficiency and safety of drug immunomodulation (interferon inducers, polyoxidonium, immunofan, etc.) in treating urogenital Chlamydia infection in ReA patients are not confirmed by the data of randomized controlled trials. In this connection, it is impossible to give any recommendations for their use in urogenic ReA.

There is much evidence that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disease that is also much older than early human civilizations and man as a whole. Until now, the Russia's earliest (14th c ntury) archaeological finding of such a patient remains a Volga Bulgaria inhabitant suffering with AS during his life. In the Republic of Tatarstan, at the site of an ancient Bulgar settlement appearing in the early ninth century, archaeologists have discovered an unusual grave: the deceased sitting with his back against the western wall of a tomb pitand having a bronze crosslet under his fingers. According to a historical source, it was the way of burying Christian hierarchs as pastors sitting on the altar and anticipating the great assize during which the destinies of human souls should be ruled. Anthropological analysis showed that the bones belonged to a 35–45-year-old man who was 158–163 cm tall. During the examination of the remains,attention was called to the following features of the spinal structure: ankylosis of the inferior cervical and superior thoracic vertebrae (СV–ThI) and inferior thoracic and lumbar spine (ThIV–LII) predominantly due to ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament. Facet vertebral joints and costotransverse joints were also ankylosed at the same levels. The man's neck was fixed in a bent-over position with the head down, the chin touching the breast bone – the socalled soliciting posture. By and large, the vertebral changes are characteristic of late (X-ray stage III) spondylitis. Spinal and pelvic photos and X-films are given for demonstration. The studies conducted by historical scientists and forensic medical experts suggest that the found remains are most likely to belong to Christian Theodore nicknamed Jerusaleman, also further known as Holy Theodore philosopher Kamsky (Bulgarian), who was mentioned in the Nikon chronicle in 1323.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic disease of the axial skeleton. Recently, there has been increased interest among practitioners and researchers in AS. Because of difficulties in conducting epidemiological surveys studying statistical data on its prevalence and patient mortality is of great importance. It permit introduction of necessary corrections into organization of medical care to patients on the basis of analysis of the situation in the region.Objective: to study the trend and validity of data on AS prevalence and patient mortality in the adult population of the Tula Region versus the Russian Federation.Subjects and methods. The investigators used the 2002–2010 statistical guidelines “Prevalence of diseases in adult populationof Russia” by the Ministry of Health of Russia; the 2006–2010 federal statistical inquiry forms No. 14 in the Tula Region and the Russian Federation; the European hospital database; the 2000–2011 mortality databases in the Tula Region, which had been obtained by the automated mortality registration systems, which contained 373,997 records and included all margins of “Medical Death Certificates”.Results and discussion. In the Russian Federation, overall prevalence of AS per 100,000 adult population increased from 27.6 in 2002 to 34.4 in 2010 (the increment was 24.6%) while in the Tula Region its trend was unstable in this period. Incidence of AS here decreased by 31.8% from 2002 to 2010; in Russia its increment was 51.6%. From 2000 to 2011 in the Tula Region AS was registered as one of the causes of death in 29 cases.Conclusion. To plan measures aimed at improving the quality of medical care to AS patients, it is necessary to expand a comprehensive study of AS prevalence as well as outpatient and inpatient mortality from AS

The incidence of major rheumatic diseases was analyzed inRussia's adult population in 2012–2013 on the basis of the statistical reports of the Ministry of Health ofRussia(Form No. 12).Among the adult population ofRussia, the overall incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) decreased by 11.6% (from 1666 to 1474 cases). No case of ARF was registered in 11 of the 83 subjects of the Federation in 2013. The inci- dence rates per 100,000 adult population compared toRussia's ones were higher in theRepublicofIngushetia(21.0%), theChechen Republic(13.2%), and the Chukotka Autonomous District (26.2%). All cases of ARF were first notified. The overall incidence rates of chronic rheumatic heart diseases amongRussia's adult population tend to reduce slightly [by 5.3% (from 182,286 to 172,687 cases)].In the period in question, the total number of patients with musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) slightly rose. The bulk of rheumatic patients from the MSD group are more than 4 million patients with osteoarthritis (OA), half of them (2,454,563) being those who are older than able-bodied age. The incidence of OA tends to increase in all Federal Districts (FD). The most common joint inflammatory diseases are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (286,000 cases), spondylopathies (90,000 cases), and osteoporosis (152,000 cases). The incidence rates of MSD per 100,000 adult population are higher in the North-Western (19,397.7), Volga (16,552.6), and Siberian (16,133.4) FD thanRussia's mean rate (14,205.5). There were somewhat higher incidence rates of RA per 100,000 population in 2013 than in 2012 (241.4 and 245.6, respectively). The rates in the North-Western, Ural, Far Eastern, and Volga FDs are higher than the mean Russian ones.In 2011, the rubric of «Ankylosing spondylitis» (AS) was replaced by that of «Spondylopathies» that, besides AS (ICD-10 M45), encompasses other inflammatory spondylopathies (M46), including infectious one, which does not allow single out the spinal inflammatory diseases under a rheumatologist's competence. InRussia, there were 39,800 patients with AS in 2010 and as many as 89,000 patients with spondylopathies in 2013.The incidence of systemic connective tissue diseases (SCTD) remains rather stable. Unfortunately, SCTDs include different nosological entities (sys- temic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, systemic vasculitides, etc.), which cannot refine trends in the incidence of specific diseases.In a number of the Federation's subjects, the incidence rate of reactive arthritis (ReA) is higher thanRussia's mean one. It is not inconceivable that not only arthropathies caused by prior enteric and urogenital infection are taken as ReA, leading to the hyperdiagnosis of ReA.The incidence of osteoporosis varies in FDs: from 226.5 per 100,000 adult population in the Siberian FD to52.0 inthe Southern FD, which is most likely to be associated with the fact that an instrumental examination cannot be made in patients to detect this pathology.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14412/1995-4484-2015-120-124

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disease whose main clinical manifestation is an inflammatory lesion in the axial skeleton with its gradual ankylosing. The peak incidence of AS occurs at a young age; and, if there is no timely adequate therapy, its disability rates are virtually as high as 50% ten years after disease onset, which determines the social importance of this disease The diagnosis of AS is based on its characteristic clinical presentation and the compulsory detection of sacroiliitis on pelvic radiography. However, the existing reports of the X-ray stages of sacroiliac joint injuries in the literature provide little evidence and frequently misinterpret radiographic changes. Based on their long-term experience, the authors give expanded explanations of the standard X-ray stages of sacroiliitis and other radiographic signs that can make a diagnostic search in AS easier.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, or Forestier's disease (FD), is a rare non-inflammatory disease of the locomotor apparatus, which is associated with ligament and tendon ossification that gradually results in ankylosis. In a number of cases, the clinical and radiographic patterns of FD are similar to those of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), which requires a differential diagnosis. The paper describes two clinical cases demonstrating difficulties in the differential diagnosis of FD and AS.

Objective: to reveal neurogenic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of chronic pain syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and knee osteoarthritis (OA) in order to develop individualized pharmacotherapy.Subjects and methods. One hundred and eighty-three patients with RA and 80 with knee OA were examined. By using the neuropathic pain diagnostic questionnaire (DN4), all the patients were divided into 2 groups with and without a neuropathic pain component (NPC).Results. NPC was found in 43% of the patients with RA and it was connected with involvement of the peripheral somatosensory system. In RA, NPC was common in older patients with longer disease duration, higher X-ray stage, and severe functional insufficiency. 30% of patients with knee OA also had NPC, however the signs of nervous system involvement were absent. In OA, NPC was associated with hyperalgesia, higher pain intensity, more marked joint dysfunction on the WOMAC, and anxiety.Discussion. This investigation revealed a mixed pattern of chronic pain syndrome in patients with RA and knee OA; some patients were found to have a NPC in the presence of predominantly a nociceptive component

The paper discusses the apparent rhetorical question whether psoriatic arthritis is psoriatic. Based on the data available in the literature and logical considerations, it has been suggested that accepted view may be contrary to fact.