Ankylosing Spondylitis poses significant challenges in terms of early diagnosis, assessment of disease activity, predicting response to the treatment and monitoring radiographic progression. With better understanding of underlying immunopathogenesis, effective targeted therapies are available which improve symptoms, quality of life and possibly slow the radiographic progression. There has been a growing interest in the discovery of biomarkers for defining various aspects of disease assessment and management in Ankylosing Spondylitis. The C-reactive protein and HLA-B27 are most commonly used biomarkers. This review describes many other newer biomarkers which have potential clinical applications in this chronic inflammatory disease.
Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis; biomarker; disease activity; inflammatory bowel disease; radiographic progression.
© 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.