Association of Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies with clinical phenotype in spondyloarthritis patients

Abstract

The association between spondyloarthritis (SpA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been shown in many studies. More recently, with the hypothesis that increased gut inflammation is of etiopathogenic importance in the development of SpA, evaluation of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) has gained increasing relevance. To study the status and frequency of ASCA in SpA patients and the association of these biomarkers with the clinical profile. An observational study was performed including 231 SpA patients treated with biologic therapy. ASCA IgA and IgG levels were determined by micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our data showed an increase of ASCA IgA positivity among SpA patients. No relationship was found between ASCA status and the demographic aspects, genetic factors or clinical presentation, except for the association with IBD. Our study confirms that ASCA IgA are elevated in SpA patients. Although there was no evidence of association with a particular disease phenotype, the existence of higher ASCA levels sustains a close relationship between gut and SpA.