Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy but not standard therapy is associated with resolution of erosion in the sacroiliac joints of patients with axial spondyloarthritis

Table 3 Correlation matrix demonstrating associations between changes in inflammatory parameters and structural lesions on MRI in patients with axial spondyloarthritis receiving either standard or TNFα inhibitor therapy

TNFα inhibitor therapy (n= 79)	Standard therapy (n= 68)
	CRP	ASDAS	SPARCC MRI SIJ inflammation score	SSS for fat metaplasia	SSS for erosion	SSS for backfill	SSS for ankylosis
CRP		0.27, P = 0.05	0.19, P = 0.NS	0.13, P = 0.NS	0.16, P = NS	−0.03, P = NS	−0.19, P = NS
ASDAS	0.27, P = 0.042		0.15, P = NS	−0.04, P = NS	0.20, P = NS	−0.12, P = NS	−0.23, P = NS
SPARCC MRI SIJ inflammation score	0.12, P = NS	0.12, P = NS		−0.28, P = 0.041	0.29, P = 0.032	−0.34, P = 0.011	−0.02, P = NS
SSS for fat metaplasia	−0.27, P = 0.023	−0.07, P = NS	−0.40, P = 0.001		−0.08, P = NS	0.31, P = 0.0097	0.21, P = 0.092
SSS for erosion	0.023, P = NS	−0.23, P = NS	0.49, P < 0.0001	−0.54, P < 0.0001		−0.39, P = 0.0011	−0.33, P = 0.0058
SSS for backfill	−0.11, P = NS	0.04, P = NS	−0.39, P = 0.001	0.30, P = 0.008	−0.46 < 0.0001		−0.02, P = NS
SSS for ankylosis	0.10, P = NS	0.07, P = NS	−0.09, P = NS	0.35, P = 0.0018	−0.33, P = 0.0027	0.06, P = NS

Data presented as Spearman’s rho and P values. Data in bold are statistically significant. ASDAS, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; CRP, C-reactive protein; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; NS, not significant; SIJ, sacroiliac joint; SPARCC, Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada; SSS, Sacroiliac Joint Structural Score; TNFα, tumor necrosis factor alpha.

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