PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Stone, M A
AU  - Payne, U
AU  - Pacheco-Tena, C
AU  - Inman, R D
TI  - Cytokine correlates of clinical response patterns to infliximab treatment of ankylosing spondylitis
AID  - 10.1136/ard.2003.006916
DP  - 2004 Jan 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 84--87
VI  - 63
IP  - 1
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/63/1/84.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/63/1/84.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis2004 Jan 01; 63
AB  - Objective: To identify clinical and immunological markers of response to treatment with infliximab in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Baseline and sequential cytokine levels (IL1, TNFα, IFNγ, TGFβ and IL10) were examined after 52 weeks of infliximab treatment 5 mg/kg in 22 patients. Results: At week 52, 18 patients were responders and four non-responders according to ASAS group criteria. Clinical measures of disease activity between the two groups at baseline were similar, apart from a trend towards longer disease duration in non-responders (p = 0.08). Baseline CRP and TNFα levels were higher in responders than non-responders (p<0.01 and p<0.006, respectively). The two groups had similar baseline cytokine levels, apart from TNFα. Baseline CRP levels did not correlate significantly with baseline cytokine levels in responders, but a strong correlation was noted between baseline CRP and IL1, IFNγ, and IL10 in non-responders. Apart from an early rise in TGFβ and a decrease in IL10 in responders after the first infusion, sequential cytokine analysis for the first six months of treatment was not related to clinical disease activity measures. Conclusion: Although sequential cytokine analysis does not appear to be informative, baseline CRP and TNFα levels are useful markers of clinical response patterns in patients with AS treated with infliximab.