Thalidomide in ankylosing spondylitis

F. Huang¹, J.C.C. Wei², M. Breban³

¹Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; ²Family Medicine Department, Chia Yi Veterans Hospital, Taiwan; ³INSERM U567 and Service de Rhumatologie B, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France.

ABSTRACT
Despite potential side effects dominated by teratogenicity and peripheral neuropathy, thalidomide has recently been used to treat severe ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Over 50 patients have been treated across several 6-12 month open studies. Altogether 68% of the patients improved and the drop-out rate was 19%. Inhibition of NF-kB and/or TNFa is a putative mechanism for thalidomide efficacy in AS.

Key words
Ankylosing spondylitis, spondylarthropathy, thalidomide, TNFa.

Please address correspondance to: Maxime Breban, MD, PhD, INSERM U567 and Service de Rhumatologie B, Hôpital Cochin, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014, Paris, France. 
E-mail: maxime.breban@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 28): S158-S161.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.