Table 1.
Characteristics of the 164 patients with ankylosing spondylitis at baseline and 5-year follow-up
| Baseline | 5-Year follow-up | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, female/male | 74 (45)/90 (55) | ||
| Age, years | 49.5 (41–62) | 54.5 (46–67) | <0.001 |
| Years since onset of AS symptoms | 22 (13–34) | 27 (18–39) | <0.001 |
| Years since AS diagnosis | 12 (5–23) | 17 (10–28) | <0.001 |
| HLA-B27-positive | 141 (86) | ||
| Fecal calprotectin, mg/kg | 86 (45–222) | 82 (35–190) | 0.660 |
| Fecal calprotectin level | |||
| ≤ 50 mg/kg | 48 (29.3) | 60 (36.6) | 0.660 |
| 51–199 mg/kg | 69 (42.1) | 64 (39.0) | |
| 200–499 mg/kg | 32 (19.5) | 29 (17.7) | |
| 500–999 mg/kg | 13 (7.9) | 8 (4.9) | |
| >1000 mg/kg | 2 (1.2) | 3 (1.8) | |
| Serum calprotectin, ng/ml | 645 (282–705) | No data | N/A |
| CRP, mg/L | 2 (1–6) | 3 (1–6) | 0.434 |
| ESR, mm/h | 11 (7–18) | 8 (4–14) | <0.001 |
| ASDASCRP score | 2.2 (1.6–3.0) | 2.1 (1.3–2.7) | <0.001 |
| BASDAI score | 3.1 (1.6–5.2) | 3.2 (1.8–5.2) | 0.713 |
| BAS-G score | 2.7 (1.2–5.7) | 2.8 (1.4–5.9) | 0.187 |
| BASFI score | 2.3 (1.0–3.8) | 2.3 (1.0-4.1) | 0.443 |
| BASMI score | 2.8 (2.0–4.0) | 3.4 (2.4–4.6) | <0.001 |
| Current smoker | 15 (9.1) | 11(6.7) | 0.388 |
| NSAIDs | 128 (78) | 125 (76) | 0.868 |
| Daily use | 73 (45) | 66 (40) | |
| As needed | 55 (34) | 59 (36) | |
| TNF blockers | 33 (20) | 39 (24) | 0.238 |
| Infliximab | 24 (15) | 21 (13) | 0.664 |
| Adalimumab | 4 (2) | 8 (5) | 0.289 |
| Golimumab | 0 (0) | 4 (2) | N/A |
| Etanercept | 5 (3) | 6 (4) | 1.000 |
| DMARDs | |||
| Methotrexate | 35 (21) | 29 (18) | 0.189 |
| Sulfasalazine | 16 (10) | 8 (5) | 0.004 |
| Regular occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms | |||
| Loose stools | 70 (43) | 66 (40) | 0.401 |
| Mucus in diarrhea | 25 (15) | 34 (21) | 0.405 |
| Blood in stools | 22 (13) | 21 (13) | 1.000 |
| Blood in diarrhea | 8 (5) | 9 (5) | 1.000 |
| Abdominal pain | 24 (15) | 33 (20) | 0.210 |
| Obstipation | 54 (33) | 41 (25) | 0.008 |
| Reflux symptoms | 65 (40) | 62 (38) | 0.391 |
| Epigastric pain | 47 (29) | 46 (28) | 1.000 |
Abbreviations: AS Ankylosing spondylitis, CRP C-reactive protein, DMARD Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ASDAS CRP Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein, BASDAI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BAS-G Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Patient Global Score, BASFI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, BASMI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, NSAID nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, TNF tumor necrosis factor
Data are presented as median and [interquartile range] or number (%)