PMID- 16646033
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20060804
LR  - 20151119
IS  - 0004-3591 (Print)
IS  - 0004-3591 (Linking)
VI  - 54
IP  - 5
DP  - 2006 May
TI  - Major reduction in spinal inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis 
      after treatment with infliximab: results of a multicenter, randomized, 
      double-blind, placebo-controlled magnetic resonance imaging study.
PG  - 1646-52
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha 
      (TNFalpha) in reducing the signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) 
      coincide with a reduction in spinal inflammation as detected by magnetic 
      resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Pre- and postgadolinium T1 and STIR MR images 
      of the spine were acquired at baseline and at week 24 in patients with AS who 
      participated in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 
      study. Patients were randomly assigned at an 8:3 ratio to receive infusions of 
      infliximab (5 mg/kg) or placebo at weeks 0, 2, and 6 and then every 6 weeks 
      thereafter. MR images were obtained and evaluated independently by 2 readers who 
      were blinded to the treatment allocation and time sequence of the images. 
      RESULTS: A total of 194 patients in the infliximab group and 72 patients in the 
      placebo group had evaluable images at baseline and week 24. About 80% of the 
      patients had at least 1 active spinal lesion at baseline, as assessed by MRI. The 
      improvement in the MRI Activity Score after 6 months was significantly greater in 
      the patients who received infliximab (mean 5.02, median 2.72) than in those who 
      received placebo (mean 0.60, median 0.0) (P < 0.001). Almost complete resolution 
      of spinal inflammation was seen in most patients who received infliximab, 
      irrespective of baseline activity. CONCLUSION: Patients with AS who received 
      infliximab therapy showed a decrease in spinal inflammation as detected by MRI, 
      whereas those who received placebo showed persistent inflammatory spondylitis.
FAU - Braun, Jurgen
AU  - Braun J
AD  - Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Herne, Germany. j.braun@rheumazentrum-ruhrgebiet.de
FAU - Landewe, Robert
AU  - Landewe R
FAU - Hermann, Kay-Geert A
AU  - Hermann KG
FAU - Han, John
AU  - Han J
FAU - Yan, Songkai
AU  - Yan S
FAU - Williamson, Paul
AU  - Williamson P
FAU - van der Heijde, Desiree
AU  - van der Heijde D
CN  - ASSERT Study Group
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Multicenter Study
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - Arthritis Rheum
JT  - Arthritis and rheumatism
JID - 0370605
RN  - 0 (Antibodies, Monoclonal)
RN  - B72HH48FLU (Infliximab)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Antibodies, Monoclonal/*therapeutic use
MH  - Double-Blind Method
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Infliximab
MH  - *Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MH  - Male
MH  - Myelitis/*diagnosis/*drug therapy
MH  - Spondylitis, Ankylosing/*diagnosis/*drug therapy
EDAT- 2006/04/29 09:00
MHDA- 2006/08/05 09:00
CRDT- 2006/04/29 09:00
PHST- 2006/04/29 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2006/08/05 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/04/29 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1002/art.21790 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Arthritis Rheum. 2006 May;54(5):1646-52. doi: 10.1002/art.21790.