Background: Systemic AA amyloidosis is a serious and life-threatening complication of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis (SpA), and periodic fever syndromes. While most common cause of AA amyloidosis is Familial Mediterranean Fever; Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is another frequent cause of AA amyloidosis in Turkey.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the response of secukinumab (SEC) treatment in three patients with AS and AA amyloidosis (AS-AA) in our tertiary referral centre.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated three AA amyloidosis patients who fulfilled Modified New York Criteria for diagnosis of AS in our AA amyloidosis cohort with 163 patients. Diagnosis of AA amyloidosis was confirmed by Congo red stain and by monoclonal AA-specific antibodies.

Results: Patient 1: 61-year-old male patient with inflammatory back pain (IBP) and peripheral arthritis for 14 years was evaluated in our clinic. After methotrexate (MTX) failure, he used adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETA) and certolizumab (CZP). Nephrotic range proteinuria was detected when he was on CZP, and rectum biopsy documented AA amyloidosis 3 years ago. After the diagnosis, CZP treatment was switched to infliximab (IFX). IFX was ineffective in controlling inflammatory findings. SEC was started 15 months ago and he responded partially. The dose of SEC was increased to 300 mg monthly, which resulted in a sustained improvement in clinical and laboratory findings.

Patient 2: 69-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with peripheral arthritis in addition to the history of IBP for 19 years in 2005. MTX, NSAID and prednisolone were started. Because of inefficacy to conventional treatments and development of nephrotic range proteinuria, ETA was added to treatment. The patient responded to ETA and was followed-up for 13 years without symptoms of AS and proteinuria. ETA was switched to IFX due to secondary inefficacy two years ago. On the third month of IFX treatment, she developed demyelinating polyneuropathy. IFX treatment was switched to SEC and she is still being followed-up on SEC without any findings of AS and proteinuria.

Patient 3: 49-year-old woman who was on sulphasalasine for 24 years for treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) was evaluated for recent onset IBP and peripheral arthritis in 2007. After failure of MTX, she started to receive IFX. She did not respond to first IFX and then ADA and CZP, and she developed nephrotic range proteinuria when she was on anti-TNF. Her serum creatinine increased progressively, and haemodialysis (H/D) was started six months later. Due to ongoing IBP and elevated acute phase response with CZP treatment, SEC was started. Significant improvement was observed in both clinical and laboratory findings with no worsening of UC.

Conclusion: AA amyloidosis is a rare complication of SpA, and SEC treatment was found to be safe and effective in our three patients with AS-AA. Although anti-TNF agents have previously used successfully in treatment of AS-AA, SEC may be a new option especially in patients who are resistant or intolerant to anti-TNFs.

Disclosure of Interests: None declared