Table 4.

Correlations between the clinical variables and laboratory markers in axSpA with exercise therapy

		∆ BASMI	∆ ASDAS-CRP	CRP baseline	IL-6 baseline	IL-17 baseline	TNF-α baseline	∆ CRP	∆ IL-6	∆ IL-17	∆ TNF-α
∆ BASMI	ρ	1	0.271	-0.017	0.236	-0.027	-0.311	0.003	-0.058	-0.049	0.417
All (n = 40)	ρ	.	ns	ns	ns	ns	0.09	ns	ns	ns	p < 0.05
∆ ASDAS-CRP	ρ	0.271	1	-0.231	0.391	-0.131	-0.02	0.406	-0.205	0.035	0.377
All (n = 40)	ρ	ns	.	ns	p < 0.05	ns	ns	p < 0.001	ns	ns	p < 0.05
∆ BASMI	ρ	1	0.774	-0.596	0.441	-0.230	-0.477	-0.098	-0.213	0.010	0.563
nr-axSpA (n = 18)	ρ	.	p < 0.001	p < 0.01	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	p < 0.05
∆ ASDAS-CRP	ρ	0.774	1	-0.187	0.388	0.028	-0.351	0.437	-0.249	-0.074	0.636
nr-axSpA (n = 18)	ρ	p < 0.001	.	ns	ns	ns	ns	p < 0.05	ns	ns	p < 0.05
∆ BASMI	ρ	1	0.007	0.233	0.099	0.217	-0.143	0.123	0.158	-0.110	0.273
AS (n = 22)	ρ	.	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns
∆ ASDAS-CRP	ρ	0.007	1	-0.328	0.356	-0.266	0.102	0.395	-0.147	0.154	0.186
AS (n = 22)	ρ	ns	.	ns	ns	ns	ns	p < 0.05	ns	ns	ns

Statistical analysis: correlation analyses were performed by Spearman correlation (ρ). Statistical significance was determined as p < 0.05. axSpA axial spondyloarthritis, nr-axSpA non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, AS ankylosing spondylitis, ASDAS-CRP AS disease activity score, BASMI Bath AS metrology index, CRP C-reactive protein, IL interleukin, TNF tumour necrosis factor, ∆ changes of the scores/biomarkers values, ns not significant