Clinical and Imaging Signs of Spondyloarthritis in First‐Degree Relatives of HLA–B27–Positive Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: The Pre‐Spondyloarthritis (Pre‐SpA) Cohort Study

Abstract

A substantial proportion of seemingly healthy first-degree relatives of HLA-B27-positive AS patients have clinical and/or imaging abnormalities suggestive of SpA. Thirty-three percent could be classified as having SpA. Further follow-up will show which first-degree relatives will develop clinically manifest SpA.

First-degree relatives of axial spondyloarthritis patients of the pre-SpA cohort would consider using medication in a preventive setting

“…For this study, all participants from the pre-spondyloarthritis (Pre-SpA) cohort, known to have an increased risk to develop SpA, were approached regardless of their time of follow-up. This cohort has been described in detail previously [10]. In short, pre-SpA is an ongoing, prospective, multicenter inception cohort of healthy, first-degree relatives of HLA-B27positive axSpA patients between 18 and 40 years of age.…”

“…Initiatives as the pre-SpA cohort [10], a prospective cohort of healthy first degree relatives of axSpA patients, and the SPACE (SPondyloArthritis Caught Early) cohort [11] might enable in a very early phase to identify, treat and thereby possibly even prevent axSpA. Therefore, also in axSpA, preventive treatment is an imaginable scenario.…”

Editorial: Axial Spondyloarthritis: The Recurrence Plot Thickens

“…In summary, the study by Turina et al confirmed a familial risk of SpA among asymptomatic first‐degree relatives of AS patients. These investigators’ findings build on the aforementioned work, and follow‐up of these subjects in a prospective manner will provide new opportunities for understanding the incidence, characteristics, and pathogenesis of AS.…”

“…In this issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology , Turina and colleagues report findings from a prospective follow‐up cohort (called the pre‐spondyloarthritis [Pre‐SpA] cohort) of 51 seemingly healthy first‐degree relatives (ages 18–40 years) of 36 HLA–B27–positive AS patients. They have described the baseline characteristics of this group.…”

Axial Spondyloarthritis in Relatives of Probands With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Comment on the Article by Turina et al

“…We read with interest the report by Turina et al on spondyloarthritis (SpA)-related symptoms in first-degree relatives of SpA patients (1). The authors reported that one-third of first-degree relatives were classified as having SpA according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) criteria (2).…”