Background To evaluate disease activity is important for use in clinical practice, observational studies and clinical trials. There are different indexes to evaluate disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the relation between diferent disease activity parameters and functional parameter (the AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI)) in patients with AS.

Methods Five hundred patients (158 women and 342 men) fulfilling New York criteria for the diagnosis of AS were enrolled in the study. Disease activity was assessed with BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR. Functional status was evaluated with BASFI. Statistical analysis were performed with SPSS for Windows.

Results The mean age was 37.2±9.8. The mean disease duration was 7.5±7.1. Mean BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR scores were respectively 3.7±2.3, 1.7±0.8 and 2.6±1.1. The mean BASFI score was 2.7±2.4. BASFI was positively correlated with BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR scores (p<0.001, r: 0.685; p<0.001, r: 0.581; p<0.001, r: 0.529 respectively). BASDAI was correlated with ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR (p<0.001, r: 0.745; p<0.001, r: 0.674 respectively).

Conclusions In clinical practice, ASDAS which is a new feasible, objective and discriminative composite index could be used to determine disease activity in patients with AS.

Disclosure of Interest None Declared