RESEARCH - Relationship between disease activity and infection in patients with spondyloarthropathies

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Ann Rheum Dis. 2004 Oct;63(10):1338-40.

Relationship between disease activity and infection in patients with

spondyloarthropathies.

ez A, Pacheco-Tena C, Vazquez-Mellado J, Burgos-Vargas R.

Hospital General de Mexico, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Dr

Balmis 148, Mexico DF 06726.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between disease activity and signs and

symptoms of infection in Mexican patients with spondyloarthropathies (SpA).

METHODS: A cross sectional study of 95 non-selected patients with SpA (62

men; mean age 26.4 years), who were examined for signs and symptoms of

infection and their association with disease activity. 52 had ankylosing

spondylitis (AS), 32 undifferentiated SpA (uSpA), 6 chronic reactive

arthritis (ReA), and 5 psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Categorical data were

analysed by chi(2) or Fisher's tests. RESULTS: 53 (56%) patients had

infections: 41 (43%) upper respiratory tract (URT), 34 (36%) enteric, and 20

(21%) genitourinary infections. More infections occurred in HLA-B27 positive

patients as a whole (39 v 5; p = 0.003) and in uSpA (12 v 2; p = 0.005). In

AS and uSpA, infections occurred in approximately 50%. 30/39 (77%) patients

with active disease (group A) and 23/56 (41%) (group (p = 0.001) had

infection. There were more enteric infections in group A (47%; p<0.001) and

more URT infections in group B (52%; p = NS). 22/30 (73%) patients

attributed disease activity to infection.

CONCLUSION: Enteric, and less commonly, URT infections in Mexican patients

with SpA, particularly those who were HLA-B27 positive, seem to have a role

in the active phase of AS and uSpA.

PMID: 15361397

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

5361397 & dopt=Abstract

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