Background: There is ample evidence of important symptomatic efficacy of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) inhibition in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Moreover, studies suggest that anti-TNF could be considered as the first disease controlling antirheumatic treatment (DC-ART) for AS. Objective: To determine precisely which patients with AS are most likely to benefit from anti-TNFα treatment because of the cost and possible long term side effects of such treatment. Methods: Assessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis (ASAS) members were asked to use a Delphi technique to nome the characteristics of patients with AS for whom they would start DC-ART, in three different clinicol presentations (isoloted axiol involvement, peripheral arthritis, enthesitis). Results: Among the 62 invited ASAS members, more than 50% actively participated in the four phases of definition according to the Delphi technique. For each of the three clinical presentations, a combination of five to six domains was proposed, with an evaluation instrument and o cut off point defining a minimum level of activity for each domain. Conclusion: This study provides a profile for a patient with AS for considering initiation of biological agents that reflects the opinion of the ASAS members, using a Delphi exercise. Further studies are required to assess their relevance and their consistency with clinical practice.
CITATION STYLE
Pham, T., Van Der Heijde, D., Calin, A., Khan, M. A., Van Der Linden, S., Bellamy, N., & Dougados, M. (2003). Initiation of biological agents in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: Results of a Delphi study by the ASAS Group. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 62(9), 812–816. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.62.9.812
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