Ankylosing spondylitis: sistematic review

Introduction: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is characterized as a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Studies indicate an association of this disease with the HLA-B27 antigen, which is found in a high percentage in patients with the disease. AS brings several complications to the bearer, as it alters their quality of life, leading to different degrees of physical, social, economic and psychological disability. There is no definitive treatment for the disease, and most patients are treated with medication or physiotherapy, acupuncture and other programs whose function is to minimize pain and improve the quality of life of spondylytic individuals. Objective: To understand the etiology, incidence, types of treatments of AS, highlighting and clarifying its consequences in the life of the carrier patient. Methods: This is an exploratory study, through a literature review. Results: Recent researches on AS have been focusing on the treatment attributed to its physiopathology, associating the genes related to the disease to different possibilities of therapy. The AS treatment is primarily based on the relief of symptoms, maintenance of function, prevention of complications of spinal disease and minimization of extraspinal and extraarticular manifestations and comorbidities. Furthermore, a pharmacologic intervention has shown that, for patients who are resistant to initial therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Methotrexate – a nonbiologic conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) – works for general symptoms as pain, stiffness, edema, and function. Besides, when resistant to nonbiologic DMARD, a biological approach to the disease can be done with drugs such as TNF inhibitors and alternative agents. Conclusion: Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects deeply the patient and compromises their quality of life. Advances in the knowledge of its physiopathology and treatment options have been changing the path of the disease management, such as the recent studies about the use of nonbiologic and biologic drugs. The researches allow earlier diagnosis and a targeted therapeutic approach capable of improving the course of AS.