European Ankylosing Spondylitis Infliximab Cohort (EASIC) Follow up Registration Study (EASIC registry)

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the most frequent subtype of spondyloarthritides (SpA)(Braun et al.Lancet 2007, 369:1379-90). Treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the cornerstone of the treatment of the disease and is widely used to suppress inflammation and ameliorate spinal pain (Zochling et al.:Ann Rheum Dis 2006, 65:442-52). There is evidence that antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is highly effective in SpA, especially in AS and psoriatic arthritis. Thus, TNF blockers may even be considered as first line treatment in a patient with active AS whose condition is not sufficiently controlled with NSAIDs in the case of axial disease, and sulfasalazine or methotrexate in the case of peripheral arthritis (Zochling et al.:Ann Rheum Dis 2006, 65:442-52). Long-term data on anti-TNF therapy in patients with AS are rather limited. Infliximab in a dosage of 5mg/kg was shown to be efficacious over 5 years, including a short period of withdrawal and readministration (Baraliakos et al.:Arthritis Res Ther 2005, 7: R439-44; Baraliakos et al.:J Rheumatol 2007, 34: 510-5; Braun J et al: Ann Rheum Dis 2008, 67: 340-5). In our EASIC study the investigators have also shown the efficacy and safety of infliximab treatment in patients with AS over 5 years. Long term data for the treatment of AS with etanercept has proven the efficacy as well (Dijkmans B et al.:J Rheumatol 2009, 36: 1256-64). But long term data for efficacy and safety of treatment with anti-TNF therapy beyond a time period of 5 years is lacking. These data on long term treatment are essential for several reasons. At first patients with AS are predominantly of younger age. When taking into account that withdrawal of anti-TNF therapy leads to disease relapse in a very high proportion of patients , anti-TNF therapy in AS patients is most often designed as a continuous therapy on a long term basis. The second reason for the need of long term data beyond 5 years is the ongoing debate whether anti-TNF agents have the potential to inhibit radiographic progression (Baraliakos X et al.:Ann Rheum Dis 2005, 64:1462-6; van der heijde D et al:Arthritis Rheum 2008, 58: 3063-70). Radiographic data on a larger cohort of patients treated with infliximab or other anti-TNF blockers for a long time period could contribute to answer this important question.