Ankylosing spondylitis and mortality following hospitalised pneumonia: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the prognosis of infections in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared with patients without AS. The purpose of this study was to examine whether AS is associated with poorer outcomes in patients who are hospitalised with pneumonia. METHODS: In a population-based cohort study including patients with hospitalised pneumonia with and without AS, we compared 90-day rates of mortality, all-cause readmission (90 days post-discharge) and pulmonary complications including pulmonary embolism, empyema and pulmonary abscess. We used Cox regression analyses to compute crude and adjusted HRs while adjusting for sex, age and level of comorbidity. RESULTS: A total of 387 796 patients (median age 71 years) were hospitalised for pneumonia in Denmark between 1997 and 2017. Among these, 842 (0.2%) had AS (median age 65 years). The 90-day mortality was 12.5% in patients with AS and 15.5% in patients with non-AS pneumonia, with crude and adjusted 90-day HRs of 0.79 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.96) and 0.95 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.16), respectively. The 90-day post-discharge readmission rate was 27.3% in patients with AS and 25.4% in patients without AS, with a corresponding adjusted readmission HR of 1.12 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.27). Relative risk of pulmonary complications among patients with AS compared with patients without AS decreased over the study period, with adjusted HRs of 1.63 (95% CI 0.82 to 3.27) in 1997-2006 falling to 0.62 (95% CI 0.31 to 1.23) in 2007-2017. CONCLUSIONS: AS is not associated with increased mortality following hospitalisation for pneumonia. Furthermore, no increased risk of readmission or pulmonary complications in patients with AS was detected in recent study years.

Administration of lower doses of radium-224 to ankylosing spondylitis patients results in no evidence of significant overall detriment.

The use of low doses of radium-224 (224Ra) chloride for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis was stopped following the discovery that patients treated with it had a higher than control incidence of leukaemia and other cancers. This was so even though the treatment resulted in decreased pain and increased mobility-both of which are associated with decreased mortality. It was decided to re-analyze the epidemiological data looking at all causes of death. The risk of leukaemia, solid cancer, death from non-cancer causes and from all causes in a study populations of men that received either the typical dose of 5.6 to 11.1 MBq of 224Ra, any dose of 224Ra or no radium were compared using the Cox proportional hazard model. For patients that received the typical dose of 224Ra agreed with the excess cancer was similar to that reported in previous studies. In contrast, these patients were less likely to die from non-cancer diseases and from all causes of death than the control patients. No excess mortality was also found in the population of all males that received the radionuclide. It is concluded that 224Ra treatment administered at low doses to patients with ankylosing spondylitis did not impact mortality from all causes. The study demonstrates the need to consider all causes of death and longevity when assessing health impacts following irradiation.

Low Vitamin D Levels Predict Mortality in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of vitamin D deficiency on all-cause mortality in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and in the general population. This is a retrospective-cohort study based on the electronic database of the largest health-maintenance organization in Israel. AS patients who were first diagnosed between 2002-2007 were included. Controls were matched by age, gender and enrollment-time. Follow-up continued until death or end of study follow-up on 1 July 2019. Laboratory measures of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D levels during the entire follow-up period were obtained. A total of 919 AS patients and 4519 controls with a mean time of follow-up of 14.3 years were included. The mean age at the time of enrollment was 52 years, and 22% of them were females. AS was associated with a higher proportion of vitamin D deficiency (odds ratio 1.27 [95% confidence-interval (CI) 1.03-1.58]). In AS patients, insufficient levels of vitamin D (< 30 ng/mL) were significantly associated with increased incidence of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.59 [95% CI 1.02-2.50]). This association was more prominent with the decrease in vitamin D levels (< 20 ng/mL, HR 1.63 [95% CI 1.03-2.60]; <10 ng/mL, HR 1.79 [95% CI 1.01-3.20]) and among male patients (< 30 ng/mL, HR 2.11 [95% CI 1.20-3.72]; <20 ng/mL, HR 2.12 [95% CI 1.19-3.80]; <10 ng/mL, HR 2.23 [95% CI 1.12-4.43]). However, inadequate levels of vitamin D among controls were not associated with an increased all-cause mortality. Our study has shown that vitamin D deficiency is more common in AS patients than controls and is linked to an increased risk for all-cause mortality. These results emphasize the need for randomized-controlled trials to evaluate the benefits of vitamin D supplementation as a secondary prevention of mortality in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease.

Safety of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or Other Immune-mediated Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Inhibitors of Janus kinases (JAKs) are being developed for treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and other immune-mediated diseases. Tofacitinib is effective in treatment of ulcerative colitis, but there are safety concerns. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the safety profile of tofacitinib, upadacitinib, filgotinib, and baricitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, psoriasis, or ankylosing spondylitis. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1, 1990, through July 1, 2019. We performed a manual review of conference databases from 2012 through 2018. The primary outcome was incidence rates of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs. We also estimated incidence rates of serious infections, herpes zoster infection, non-melanoma skin cancer, other malignancies, major cardiovascular events, venous thromboembolism, and mortality. We performed a meta-analysis, which included controlled studies, to assess the relative risk of these events. RESULTS: We identified 973 studies; of these, 82 were included in the final analysis, comprising 66,159 patients with immune-mediated diseases who were exposed to a JAK inhibitor. Two-thirds of the included studies were randomized controlled trials. The incidence rate of AEs was 42.65 per 100 person-years and of serious AEs was 9.88 per 100 person-years. Incidence rates of serious infections, herpes zoster infection, malignancy, and major cardiovascular events were 2.81 per 100 person-years, 2.67 per 100 person-years, 0.89 per 100 person-years, and 0.48 per 100 person-years, respectively. Mortality was not increased in patients treated with JAK inhibitors compared with patients given placebo or active comparator (relative risk 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.40-1.28). The meta-analysis showed a significant increase in risk of herpes zoster infection among patients who received JAK inhibitors (relative risk 1.57; 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.37). CONCLUSIONS: In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found an increased risk of herpes zoster infection among patients with immune-mediated diseases treated with JAK inhibitors. All other AEs were not increased among patients treated with JAK inhibitors.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of secukinumab in ankylosing spondylitis from the Canadian perspective.

AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of interleukin (IL)-17A inhibitor secukinumab vs the currently licensed biologic therapies in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients from a Canadian healthcare system perspective. METHODS: A decision analytic model (semi-Markov) evaluated the cost-effectiveness of secukinumab 150 mg compared to certolizumab pegol, adalimumab, golimumab, etanercept and etanercept biosimilar, and infliximab and infliximab biosimilar in a biologic-naïve population, over 60 years of time horizon (lifetime). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI 50) response rate was used to assess treatment response at week 12. Non-responders or patients discontinuing initial-line of biologic therapy were allowed to switch to subsequent-line biologics. Model input parameters (short-term and long-term changes in BASDAI and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index [BASFI], withdrawal rates, adverse events, costs, resource use, utilities, and disutilities) were obtained from clinical trials, published literature, and other Canadian sources. Benefits were expressed as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Cost and benefits were discounted with an annual discount rate of 1.5% for all treatments. RESULTS: In the biologic-naïve population, secukinumab 150 mg dominated all comparators, as patients treated with secukinumab 150 mg achieved the highest QALYs (16.46) at the lowest cost (CAD 533,010) over a lifetime horizon vs comparators. In the deterministic sensitivity analysis, results were most sensitive to changes in baseline BASFI non-responders, BASDAI 50 at 3 months and discount rates. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that secukinumab 150 mg demonstrated higher probability of achieving maximum net monetary benefit vs all comparators at various cost thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis demonstrates that secukinumab 150 mg is the most cost-effective treatment option for biologic-naïve AS patients compared to certolizumab pegol, adalimumab, golimumab, etanercept and etanercept biosimilar, and infliximab and infliximab biosimilar for a lifetime horizon in Canada. Treatment with secukinumab translates into substantial benefits for patients and the healthcare system.

High 3-year golimumab survival in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis: real world data from 328 patients.

OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to study the long-term survival on drug (SOD) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with golimumab (GLM) in real life settings. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of all patients treated with GLM in 4 Academic Centres in Greece during a 4-year period (09/2010-06/2014). SOD was analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, while Cox regression analysis estimating hazard ratios (HRs) for different baseline variables associated with drug discontinuation was performed for each disease. RESULTS: 328 patients (RA: 166, PsA: 82, AS: 80) were included. The estimated SOD at 2 and 3 years was 68% and 62% overall and was better for AS (79% and 76%) compared to RA (69% and 60%, p=0.067) and PsA (58% and 53%, p=0.001) patients; no difference was noted between RA and PsA patients (p=0.204). There was no difference in SOD between biologic-naïve and experienced nor between non-biologic co-treated or GLM monotherapy treated patients. Seropositivity (rheumatoid factor and/or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies) was associated with a lower risk for GLM discontinuation by multivariate analysis (HR=0.5, 95% CI=0.0.25-1.1, p=0.05) in RA patients. During 606 patient-years of follow-up, 11 (3.3%) patients discontinued GLM due to adverse events (AE), accounting for 11% of treatment discontinuations. The rates of serious AEs and serious infections were 2.3 and 1.0/100-patient-years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-life study, GLM showed a high 3-year SOD in patients with inflammatory arthritides with a low rate of discontinuation due to AEs.

Survival benefit of statin use in ankylosing spondylitis: a general population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown an increase in both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We examined the potential survival benefit of statin use in AS within a general population context. METHODS: We performed an incident user cohort study with time-stratified propensity score matching using a UK general population database between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2014. To account for potential confounders, we compared propensity score-matched cohorts of statin initiators and non-initiators using 1-year cohort accrual blocks. The variables used to create the propensity score model included disease duration, body mass index, lifestyle factors, comorbidities and medication use. RESULTS: Using unmatched AS cohorts, statin initiators (n=1430) showed a 43% higher risk of mortality than non-initiators (n=1430) (HR=1.43; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.84). After propensity score matching, patients with AS who initiated statins (n=1108) had 96 deaths, and matched non-initiators (n=1108) had 134 deaths over a mean follow-up of 5.3 and 5.1 years, respectively. This corresponded to mortality rates of 16.5 and 23.8 per 1000 person-years (PY), respectively, resulting in an HR of 0.63 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.85) and an absolute mortality rate difference of 7.3 deaths per 1000 PY (95% CI 2.1 to 12.5). CONCLUSION: This general population-based cohort study suggests that statin initiation is associated with a substantially lower risk of mortality among patients with AS. The magnitude of the inverse association appears to be larger than that observed in randomised trials of the general population and in population-based cohort studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Deaths Associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis in France from 1969 to 2009.

OBJECTIVE: To describe deaths for which ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was on death certificates in France. METHODS: Death certificates in which AS was indicated were evaluated. Standard mortality ratio (SMR) was assessed. RESULTS: AS appeared in 2940 death certificates. The mortality rate of AS seemed stable. The most frequent initial causes were diseases of the circulatory system [28.3% in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th ed (ICD-10)]. SMR adjusted for age and sex were 2.1 (95% CI 1.45-2.91) for infections and 0.43 (0.36-0.5) for cancers (ICD-10 period). CONCLUSION: This study found an increase in mortality from infectious and external causes of death; conversely, patients with AS appear to die less frequently from cancer.

A semiparametric mixture cure survival model for left-truncated and right-censored data.

In follow-up studies, the disease event time can be subject to left truncation and right censoring. Furthermore, medical advancements have made it possible for patients to be cured of certain types of diseases. In this article, we consider a semiparametric mixture cure model for the regression analysis of left-truncated and right-censored data. The model combines a logistic regression for the probability of event occurrence with the class of transformation models for the time of occurrence. We investigate two techniques for estimating model parameters. The first approach is based on martingale estimating equations (EEs). The second approach is based on the conditional likelihood function given truncation variables. The asymptotic properties of both proposed estimators are established. Simulation studies indicate that the conditional maximum-likelihood estimator (cMLE) performs well while the estimator based on EEs is very unstable even though it is shown to be consistent. This is a special and intriguing phenomenon for the EE approach under cure model. We provide insights into this issue and find that the EE approach can be improved significantly by assigning appropriate weights to the censored observations in the EEs. This finding is useful in overcoming the instability of the EE approach in some more complicated situations, where the likelihood approach is not feasible. We illustrate the proposed estimation procedures by analyzing the age at onset of the occiput-wall distance event for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Cervical Spinal Fracture and Other Diagnoses Associated With Mortality in Hospitalized Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Little data exist regarding mortality in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We assessed diagnoses associated with in-hospital mortality in AS using a population-based inpatient data set. METHODS: Data were abstracted from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2007 and 2011. We identified AS admissions using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 720.0. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between top diagnoses and in-hospital mortality. We performed a secondary analysis from the same years in all patients (with and without AS) with cervical spine (C-spine) fracture to determine whether AS was an independent risk factor for mortality. RESULTS: Between 2007 and 2011, we identified 12,484 admissions and 267 deaths in AS patients. C-spine fracture with spinal cord injury and sepsis had the highest odds of death, with odds ratios (ORs) of 13.43 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 8.00-22.55, P < 0.0001) and 7.63 (95% CI 5.62-10.36, P < 0.0001), respectively. In the same time period, there were 53,606 C-spine fracture admissions, of which 408 were coded with AS. Among all C-spine fracture hospitalizations, an AS diagnosis was associated with inpatient death (OR 1.61 [95% CI 1.16-2.22], P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: In AS patients admitted to the hospital, C-spine fracture is a leading cause of in-hospital mortality. Other diagnoses associated with mortality include sepsis, pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, and comorbid illnesses. Among all hospitalizations with C-spine fracture, AS was associated with increased odds of death. C-spine fracture-associated mortality warrants further study to elucidate risk factors in order to prevent such devastating fractures in AS patients.

Mortality in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in Argentina.

Some reports describe an increased mortality in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to the general population. The aims of this study were to evaluate the cumulative survival in patients with AS and to establish possible factors associated with mortality. In cross-sectional retrospective study, AS patients were included according to 1984 modified NY criteria, in the 2000-2010 period, the prevalence of mortality was determined by review of medical records, telephone contact, family reports, and death certificates, and it was compared with mortality in Argentina's general population. One hundred twenty-seven patients were studied, 96 (75.6 %) were male, median age 49 years (interquartile range (IQR) 34-60) and median disease duration 8 years (IQR 4-17). During the follow-up period, 9 patients died (7.1 %). The median estimated survival from diagnosis of AS was 39 years (IQR 34-50) and median cumulative survival was 76 years (IQR 74-85). Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of death (5/9 patients). Deceased patients had a mean age and a mean AS disease duration significantly higher than living patients (68.1 ± 12.4 years vs 46.4 ± 15.09 years, p = 0.0001 and 33 ± 13.7 years vs 12 ± 10.7 years, p = 0.001, respectively), higher frequency of total surgeries [3/5 (60 %) vs 5/105 (4.76 %), p = 0.002] and cauda equina syndrome [3/6 (50 %) vs 2/116 (1.72 %), p = 0.001], respectively. Frequency of mortality in AS patients was higher than the crude mortality rate of Argentina's general population in the same period, with cardiovascular cause being the most frequent one.

Spinal Fracture in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Cohort Definition, Distribution of Injuries, and Hospital Outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize spinal fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are susceptible to fractures of the spinal column, even from minor trauma. However, the literature describing patients with ankylosing spondylitis and spinal fractures consists largely of case reports and small case series. The purpose of this study is to better characterize fractures of the ankylosed spine, including the patient population, locations of fracture, and outcomes in a large, nationally representative sample. METHODS: All patients with diagnoses of both fracture of the spinal column and ankylosing spondylitis admitted between 2005 and 2011 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Patient demographics, fracture regions, and complications were characterized with descriptive statistics. The associations between injury characteristics and outcomes were assessed using Poisson regression. RESULTS: A total of 939 patients with ankylosing spondylitis admitted with a spinal fracture were identified in NIS. The average age was 68.4 ±â€Š14.7 years, and 85% of patients were male. Cervical fractures were the most common (53.0%), followed by thoracic (41.9%), lumbar (18.2%), and sacral (1.5%). Spinal cord injury was present in 27.5% of cervical fractures, 16.0% of thoracic fractures, and 21.1% of cases overall. Fractures involving more than 1 region of the spine occurred in 13.1% of patients. Patients were treated with fusion in 49.9% of cases. In-hospital adverse events occurred in 29.4% of patients, and 6.6% of patients died during their admission. CONCLUSION: More than 10% of patients had fractures in more than 1 region of the spine. There is a high risk of adverse events in this population, and 6.6% of patients died during their inpatient stay. These results provide clinicians with a better understanding of the distribution and the high morbidity and mortality of fractures in the ankylosed spine. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Mortality in ankylosing spondylitis: results from a nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Information on mortality in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is scarce. Our study therefore aimed to assess: (1) mortality in AS versus the general population, and (2) predictors of death in the AS population. METHODS: Nationwide cohorts of patients with AS diagnosed at rheumatology or internal medicine outpatient clinics (n=8600) and age-matched, sex-matched and county-matched general population comparators (n=40 460) were identified from the National Patient Register and the census register, respectively. The follow-up period began on 1 January 2006 or at the first date of registered diagnosis thereafter and extended until death, emigration or 31 December 2012, whichever occurred first. Socioeconomic variables, AS-related clinical manifestations, joint surgery, comorbidities and medication were identified from other national registers. Cox regression models were used to determine mortality and predictors for death in the AS cohort. RESULTS: There were 496 deaths in the AS cohort and 1533 deaths in the control cohort resulting in an age-adjusted and sex-adjusted HR of 1.60 (95% CI 1.44 to 1.77), with increased mortality for men (age-adjusted HR=1.53, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.72) and women (age-adjusted HR=1.83, 95% CI 1.50 to 2.22). Within the AS cohort, statistically significant predictors for death were a lower level of education, general comorbidities (diabetes, infections, cardiovascular, pulmonary and malignant diseases) and previous hip replacement surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality was increased for male and female patients with AS. Predictors of death within the AS cohort included socioeconomic status, general comorbidities and hip replacement surgery.

Surgical Stabilization Improves Survival of Spinal Fractures Related to Ankylosing Spondylitis.

STUDY DESIGN: National registry cohort study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of surgical stabilization on survival of spinal fractures related to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Spinal fractures related to AS are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Multiple studies suggest a beneficial effect of surgical stabilization in these patients. METHODS: In the Swedish patient registry, all patients treated in an inpatient facility are registered with diagnosis and treatment codes. The Swedish mortality registry collects date and cause of death for all fatalities. Registry extracts of all patients with AS and spinal fractures including date of death and treatment were prepared and analyzed for epidemiological purposes. RESULTS: Seventeen thousand two hundred ninety-seven individual patients with AS were admitted to treatment facilities in Sweden between 1987 and 2011. Nine hundred ninety patients with AS (age 66 ±â€Š14 years) had 1131 spinal fractures, of which 534 affected cervical, 352 thoracic, and 245 lumbar vertebrae. Thirteen percent had multiple levels of injuries during the observed period. Surgically treated patients had a greater survival than those treated nonsurgically [hazard ratio (HR) 0.79, P = 0.029]. Spinal cord injury was the major factor contributing to mortality in this cohort (HR 1.55, P < 0.001). The proportion of surgically treated spinal fractures increased linearly during the last decades (r = 0.92, P < 0.001) and was 64% throughout the observed years. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord injury threatened the survival of patients with spinal fractures related to AS. Even though surgical treatment is associated with a considerable complication rate, it improved the survival of spinal fractures related to AS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Predictors of Switching Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential predictors of switching tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The patients who had been treated with TNF-α inhibitors were divided into two groups depending on whether they had switched TNF-α inhibitors. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data at the time of initiation of TNF-α inhibitor treatment were compared between switchers and non-switchers, and within switchers according to the reasons for switching. Of the 269 patients, 70 (23%) had switched TNF-α inhibitors once; of these, 11 switched again. The median follow-up time was 52.7 months. Three- and five-year drug survival rates were 52%/48% for infliximab, 62%/42% for etanercept, and 71%/51% for adalimumab, respectively. Switchers were more likely to be prescribed disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs than non-switchers. A history of joint surgery and complete ankylosis of the sacroiliac joint was more frequent in switchers. Multivariate Cox's proportional hazard analysis showed that the use of adalimumab as the first TNF-α inhibitor was less likely to lead to switching and complete ankylosis of the sacroiliac joints was more likely to lead to switching. The principal reasons for switching were drug inefficacy and adverse events, but the differences in the clinical data of these two groups of switchers were not significant. In AS patients who are candidates for TNF-α inhibitor therapy, switching may improve the therapeutic outcome based on clinical information.

Retrospective analysis of spinal trauma in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a descriptive study in Indian population.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the demographics, mode of trauma, hospital stay, complications, neurological improvement, mortality and expenditure incurred by Indian patients with spinal trauma and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the patient data admitted to a tertiary referral hospital from 2008 to 2013 with the diagnosis of AS and spinal trauma was carried out. The variables studied were demographics, mode of trauma, neurological status, neurological improvement, involved vertebral level, duration of hospital stay, comorbid factors, expenditure and complications during the stay. RESULTS: Forty-six patients with diagnosis of AS with spine trauma were admitted over the last 5 years with a total of 52 fractures. All were male patients; 58.6% had injury because of trivial trauma and 78.2% patients presented with neurological injury. C5 C6, C6 C7, C7 D1 and D12 were the most common injured level. Fractures through intervertebral disc were most common in cervical spine. Of the patients, 52.7% had shown neurological improvement of at least grade 1(AIS). Mean expenditure of patient admitted with spinal cord injury (SCI) with AS is 7957 USD (United States dollar), which is around five times the per capita income in India (as per year 2013). CONCLUSION: Males with AS are much more prone to spinal fractures than females and its incidence may be higher than previously reported. Domestic falls are the most common mechanism of spinal trauma in this population. High velocity injuries are associated with complete SCI. The study reinforces the need for development of subsidized spinal care services for SCI management.

Complications and survival after long posterior instrumentation of cervical and cervicothoracic fractures related to ankylosing spondylitis or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the results of long posterior instrumentation with regard to complications and survival. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Fractures of the cervical spine and the cervicothoracic junction related to ankylosing spinal disease (ASD) endanger both sagittal profile and spinal cord. Both anterior and posterior stabilization methods are well established, and clear treatment guidelines are missing. METHODS: Forty-one consecutive patients with fractures of the cervicothoracic junction related to ASD were treated by posterior instrumentation. All patients were followed prospectively for 2 years using a standardized protocol. RESULTS: Five patients experienced postoperative infections, 3 patients experienced postoperative pneumonia, 2 patients required postoperative tracheostomy, and 1 patient had postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage due to accidental durotomy. No patient required reoperation due to implant failure or nonunion. Mean survival was 52 months (95% confidence interval: 42-62 mo). Survival was affected by patient age, sex, smoking, and spinal cord injury. CONCLUSION: Patients with ASD experiencing a fracture of the cervicothoracic region are at high risk of developing complications. The posterior instrumentation of cervical spinal fractures related to ASD is recommended due to biomechanical superiority. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases: an 11-year nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of developing coronary atherosclerosis. However, outcomes of surgical revascularization in these patients have been rarely studied. We aimed to determine whether, or which, inflammatory rheumatic diseases may pose effects on mortality and adverse cardiac outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: By using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 40,639 adult patients who underwent first-time coronary artery bypass grafting between 2000 and 2010. Among these patients, 101 had rheumatoid arthritis, 56 had systemic lupus erythematosus, and 73 had ankylosing spondylitis. The odds ratios (ORs) of operative mortality and hazard ratios (HRs) of overall mortality and adverse cardiac outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (ie, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization) in relation to rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ankylosing spondylitis were estimated. RESULTS: With adjustment for potential confounders including patient characteristics, hospital levels, and combined surgery, systemic lupus erythematosus was an independent predictor for operative mortality (adjusted OR, 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-6.65; P = .04) and ankylosing spondylitis was marginally associated with operative mortality (adjusted OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 0.99-5.88; P = .054). Systemic lupus erythematosus was a significantly independent predictor for overall mortality during the follow-up period (adjusted HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.51-3.31; P < .0001) and might increase the risk of repeat revascularization (adjusted HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 0.97-3.68; P = .06). Neither rheumatoid arthritis nor ankylosing spondylitis was significantly associated with overall mortality and adverse cardiac outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study may help surgeons and physicians recognize the potential risks inherent to systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis when conducting coronary artery bypass grafting and providing follow-up care.

Drug survival rates of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

We investigated the compliance of Korean patients using tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and identified potential predictors associated with treatment discontinuation. The study population comprised 114 RA and 310 AS patients treated with TNF inhibitors at a single tertiary center for at least 1 yr from December 2002 to November 2011. Of the 114 RA patients, 64 (56.1%) discontinued their first TNF inhibitors with a mean duration of 18.1 months. By contrast, 65 of 310 patients (21.0%) with AS discontinued their first TNF inhibitors, with a mean duration of 84 months. Although the survival rate did not differ among the three TNF inhibitors in the AS patients, the etanercept group had a lower discontinuation rate than the infliximab group in the RA patients. In addition, RA patients who received corticosteroids in combination with TNF inhibitors were more likely to discontinue their TNF inhibitors. The independent predictors of drug discontinuation in AS patients were male gender and complete ankylosis on radiographs of the sacroiliac joint. Our results provide further evidence that real-life treatment outcomes of RA and AS patients may be different from those observed in randomized clinical trials.

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in the spondyloarthritides, particularly ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.

The spondyloarthritides (SpA) are a group of idiopathic inflammatory diseases affecting the axial and/or peripheral skeleton. Recent evidence points towards an increased mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular disease, especially within the two major forms of SpA, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Several studies have identified alterations of the lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and other metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in SpA patients. An array of vascular morphologic and functional abnormalities has also been reported in these diseases, supporting the hypothesis of accelerated atherosclerosis in SpA. Inflammation appears to be a major player, involved both in the impairment of the classic cardiovascular risk factors, as well as directly in the process of endothelial injury, dysfunction and ultimately atherosclerosis. Multiple studies in rheumatoid arthritis have suggested that effective suppression of inflammation with synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or with biologics may also exert favourable effects in the cardiovascular risk. Although such evidence is currently lacking for SpA, there is little doubt that physicians caring for patients with SpA should aim at controlling both inflammation and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Such an integrated approach is expected to benefit patients in multiple levels.