Immunological basis for the use of TNFa-blocking agents in ankylosing spondylitis and immunological changes during treatment

J.X. Zou¹, J. Braun², J. Sieper¹

¹Department of Rheumatology, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Free University, Berlin; ²Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Herne, Germany.

ABSTRACT
TNFa is expressed in high amounts at the site of inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis, which provided the basis to initiate treatment studies with TNF-blocking agents. We could show that the immunological effects of infliximab and etanercept differ in patients with AS, although the clinical effect was similarly good. While infliximab induced a downregulation of the production of the T-helper 1-cytokines IFNg and TNFa, etanercept treatment triggered rather an upregulation of these cytokines secreted by T cells after in vitro stimulation.

Key words
TNFa in ankylosing spondylitis, TNF-blockers and cytokine secretion, T cells. 

Please address correspondence to: Joachim Sieper, MD, Medical Department I, Rheumatology, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. 
E-mail: hjsieper@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 28): S34-S37.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.