Anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a therapy in undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy

S. Schnarr, J.G. Kuipers, H. Zeidler

Hannover Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Hannover, Germany.

ABSTRACT
The cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a plays a major role in the spinal inflammatory process of spondyloarthropathy. In contrast to rheumatoid arthritis, disease modifying antirheumatic drugs have not been proved effective against inflammation and progressive ankylosis. Initial studies on TNFa inhibitors in ankylosing spondylitis are promising and raise the question as to whether early stages of the disease, mostly classified as "undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy" (uSpA), should also be treated with TNFa inhibitors. This article summarises the preliminary results of 11 uSpA patients in 4 different trials treated with TNFa inhibitors.

Key words
Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, tumour necrosis factor, infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab.

Please address correspondence to: S. Schnarr, MD, Hannover Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany. 
E-mail: schnarr.sebastian@mh-hannover.de

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 28): S126-S129.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.