Etanercept treatment in resistant spondyloarthropathy: Imaging, duration of effect and efficacy on reintroduction

H. Marzo-Ortega¹, D. McGonagle^1,2, P. Emery¹

¹Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds; ²Rheumatology Department, Halifax General Hospital, Salterhebble, Halifax, UK.

ABSTRACT
Biologic blockade of tumour necrosis factor alpha is an exciting new development in the treatment of the spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Recent reports suggest that both infliximab and etanercept are potent suppressors of inflammation in SpA and this has been confirmed by studies showing suppression of inflammatory indices as well as complete regression or improvement in the inflammatory lesions as shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Whilst limited follow up data have been reported in the case of infliximab there are no data on how patients on etanercept fare after a years' treatment. 

Key words
Etanercept, spondyloarthropathy, imaging, follow up.

Please address correspondence to: Dr. Helena Marzo-Ortega, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University of Leeds, 36 Clarendon Road, Leeds LS2 9NZ, United Kingdom. 
E-mail: medhmo@leeds.ac.uk

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 28): S175-S177.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.