Abstract
Spondyloarthritides are chronic progressive inflammatory diseases with multiple and variable clinical symptoms. Exact pathophysiology of the diseases is currently unknown, but apparently key players are inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 17 (IL-17).
In treatment of patients with dominant axial involvement are besides traditional non-pharmacological procedures used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and biological and biosimilar disease modifying drugs. Treatment targeted against main inflammatory cytokines is highly efficacious for disease symptoms and activity.
Nevertheless, the question of whether we are currently able to slow or stop disease structural progression remains unanswered. This article focuses on current treatment options for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in context of long-term radiographic progression.