SULPHASALAZINE THERAPY IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: ITS EFFECT ON DISEASE ACTIVITY, IMMUNOGLOBULIN A AND THE COMPLEX IMMUNOGLOBULIN A-ALPHA-1-ANTITRYPSIN

Abstract

Serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and the complex immunoglobulin A-α, antitrypsin (IgA-α¹ AT) were measured at the commencement and after 3 months of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of sulphasalazine (SAS) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Twenty-eight patients were evaluated, 15 on sulphasalazine, 13 on placebo. Significant falls were seen in both IgA (p1AT (p<0.001) in the actively treated patients. In addition, significant improvement in clinical and laboratory measures of disease were observed. It is concluded that SAS is effective in AS and modulates the immune response.