Study: Incidence of Psoriasis, Uveitis, and IBD in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

The recent AQUILES study sought to examine the incidence of extra-articular manifestations, including uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) [Rheumatol Clin. 2015; DOI:10.1016/j.reuma.2015.01.002].

Related Content:

Study Examines Costs for Various Psoriasis Treatments

Economic Burden Significant for Patients with Psoriasis: Study

During the 2-year study duration, 513 patients with spondyloarthritis were included; 62.5% were male and the mean age of the study participants was 48 years. Of these patients, 55.6% were diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 25.3% with psoriatic arthritis, 162.% with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis, 2.5% with enteropathic arthritis, and 0.4% with other diseases. New diagnoses were based on reports of the corresponding specialists, including ophthalmologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists.

During the 2-year follow-up, 22 new diagnoses of the extra-articular manifestations were established, with a cumulative incidence of 4.3% (95% confidence interval, 2.4-6.1) and an incidence rate of 17 cases per 10,000 patient-years. Uveitis was the most frequent diagnosis, with a cumulative incidence of 3.1%, predominantly in patients with AS. In the multivariate analysis, the diagnosis of AS was the only predictive variable associated to the development of new extra-articular disease.

The researchers concluded that in patients with spondyloarthritis, the 2-year global incidence of uveitis, psoriasis, and IBD was 4.3%, particularly due to new diagnoses of uveitis in patients with AS.—Kerri Fitzgerald