The use of anti-TNF therapy for ankylosing spondylitis in everyday rheumatology practice and the relationship to disease activity, work disability and diagnostic delay.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterised by insidious onset lower back pain. Poor symptom recognition results in delays in diagnosis of up to 11 years. Despite the widespread use of anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy, work disability remains a challenging problem in AS.
METHODS: A retrospective review of AS patients attending our physiotherapy service was carried out. Data regarding patient demographics, delay in diagnosis, treatment and disease activity were recorded.
RESULTS: Ninety-two patients were identified of which 80 % were male. Just over 60 % of patients were on treatment with a TNF inhibitor and the average delay in diagnosis was 6 years. Clinically relevant changes in disease activity after 3 months of anti-TNFα therapy were demonstrated with a reduction in Bath AS Metrology Index, Bath AS Functional Index and Bath AS Disease Activity Index of 1, 1.99 and 2.39, respectively. In patients under the age of 65 years only 55.4 % of patients were employed. There was no relationship identified between diagnostic delay, employment status and treatment with an anti-TNF agent.
CONCLUSIONS: Delays in diagnosis of AS remain unacceptably high; however, delays of 6 years compare favourably to reported data. Despite this and the appropriate use of anti-TNFα agents, we continue to see high rates of unemployment in this patient group which can impact both on the person and society and bears further consideration.