Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Oct 2016
Clinical and Imaging Signs of Spondyloarthritis in First-Degree Relatives of HLA-B27-Positive Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: The Pre-Spondyloarthritis (Pre-SpA) Cohort Study.
To investigate whether seemingly healthy first-degree relatives of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have clinical, laboratory, or imaging features of spondyloarthritis (SpA). ⋯ 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.
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Oct 2016
Granulation Tissue Eroding the Subchondral Bone Also Promotes New Bone Formation in Ankylosing Spondylitis.
We previously suggested that fibroblast-rich granulation tissue eroding the subchondral bone is instrumental in the joint remodeling that occurs in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The purpose of this study was to determine if this granulation tissue also carries bone-forming capabilities, which we approached by searching for bone-forming cells (hypertrophic chondrocytes, osteoblasts) in its vicinity. We also assessed adipogenic tissue transformation, which has been suggested to be an intermediate feature in AS bone formation based on imaging studies. ⋯ The subchondral granulation tissue carries osteoblasts, which promote new bone formation, leading to intraarticular ankylosis of the facet joints in AS.