Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Spondyloarthropathies

TNF inhibitors and structural damage in ankylosing spondylitis

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 14, pages 5–6 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Whether TNF inhibitors prevent structural damage in ankylosing spondylitis remains a controversial topic, as three prospective trials failed to show any evidence to support this notion. However, data are accumulating from retrospective analyses of well-characterized cohorts of patients that could provide the solution to this controversy.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Molnar, C. et al. TNF blockers inhibit spinal radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis by reducing disease activity: results from the Swiss Clinical Quality Management cohort. Ann. Rheum. Dis. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211544 (2017).

  2. van der Heijde, D. et al. Radiographic progression of ankylosing spondylitis after up to two years of treatment with etanercept. Arthritis Rheum. 58, 1324–1331 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. van der Heijde, D. et al. Radiographic findings following two years of infliximab therapy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Rheum. 58, 3063–3070 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. van der Heijde, D. et al. Assessment of radiographic progression in the spines of patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with adalimumab for up to 2 years. Arthritis Res. Ther. 11, R127 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Haroon, N. et al. The impact of tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors on radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Rheum. 65, 2645–2654 (2013).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Maas, F. et al. Reduction in spinal radiographic progression in ankylosing spondylitis patients receiving prolonged treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Arthritis Care Res. 69, 1011–1019 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Baraliakos, X. et al. Continuous long-term anti-TNF therapy does not lead to an increase in the rate of new bone formation over 8 years in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 73, 710–715 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Smolen, J. S. et al. Treating axial spondyloarthritis and peripheral spondyloarthritis, especially psoriatic arthritis, to target: 2017 update of recommendations by an international task force. Ann. Rheum. Dis. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211734 (2017).

  9. van der Heijde, D. et al. 2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 76, 978–991 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Braun, J. et al. Secukinumab demonstrates low radiographic progression and sustained efficacy through 4 years in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis [abstract]. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 69 (suppl 10), 3L (2017).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, 97239, Oregon, USA

    Atul Deodhar

Authors
  1. Atul Deodhar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Atul Deodhar.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

A.D. declares that he has acted on the advisory board for or received research grants from Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Deodhar, A. TNF inhibitors and structural damage in ankylosing spondylitis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 14, 5–6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.197

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.197

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing