Efficacy of SLZ and MTX (alone or combination) on the treatment of active sacroiliitis in early AS.

Sacroiliitis is an important sign of spondylarthritis (SpA) of which the prototype disease is ankylosing spondylitis. The radiographic changes required for diagnosing AS occur as late as 8-11 years after the onset of clinical symptoms. Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been the main treatment for spondylitis of AS. For patients refractory or intolerant to NSAIDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been used as a second-line approach. Sulphasalazine (SLZ) is known as the best DMARD in treatment of peripheral arthritis; also methotrexate (MTX) is currently one of the most widely used DMARDs. But there was no objective information about inflammation of sacroiliac joints during treatment with these DMARDS that are the first places of the beginning point of SpA. For this purpose, in this study, the effect of SLZ and MTX, which are used alone and combination in 6 months, on treatment of active sacroiliitis, which is shown by dynamic magnetic resonance and acute phase reactants in laboratory has been investigated. 55 patients (F:M = 34:21) with active sacroiliitis [mean age = 37.05 + 13.03 year (n = 55)] were evaluated and determined by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in this study. The better response in the SLZ treatment group than the other two groups has been obtained. Nevertheless, those changes were not statistically found different. In conclusion, the ratio of treatment of active sacroiliitis, especially early period, with SLZ as a DMARD is better than MTX or MTX + SLZ, but this difference is not statistically significant. A prospective study of the treatment of active sacroiliitis by DMARDs may be more illustrative.