Extra-Articular Symptoms in Constellation with Selected Serum Cytokines and Disease Activity in Spondyloarthritis

Abstract EN

Objectives.

In this study, we assessed the extra-articular symptoms in constellation with selected serum cytokines and disease activity in spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Patients and Methods.

We studied 287 SpA patients: 131 had AS, 110 had PsA, and 46 had SAPHO.

We assessed extra-articular symptoms in all cases.

In 191 SpA patients, we measured serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-23 (IL-23), endothelin-1 (ET-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF).

Results.

Patients with acute anterior uveitis (AAU) had higher VAS (P=0.0008), BADSDAI (P=0.0001), ASDAS-ESR (P=0.04), CRP (P=0.006), IL-6 (P=0.02), and IL-18 (P=0.03) levels.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had higher VAS (P=0.03), CRP (P=0.0009), and IL-6 (P=0.0003) levels.

Patients with skin psoriasis had lower VAS (P=0.001) and BASDAI (P=0.00007) levels.

Patients with psoriatic onycholysis had lower VAS (P=0.006), BASDAI (P=0.00001), and CRP (P=0.02) and higher IL-23 (P=0.04) levels.

Patients with PPP had lower BASDAI (P=0.04) and higher ET-1 (P=0.001) levels.

Conclusions.

SpA patients with increased serum IL-18 and decreased serum ET-1 had an increased risk of extra-articular symptoms.

In SpA patients, increased disease activity was associated with an increased risk of AAU and IBD and a decreased risk of skin psoriasis, psoriatic onycholysis, and PPP.