German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort

The German Spondyloarthritis Inception cohort (GESPIC) was started 2000 as a prospective, longitudinal, multicentre, nationwide study in Germany on patients with early SpA including ankylosing spondylitis (AS, also known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis) and non-radiographic axial SpA. The objectives of GESPIC are to learn about the course of SpA during the very early stage of the disease, to appropriately assess the outcome including radiographic progression of patients after several years of follow-up, to identify outcome predictors, to assess quality of life, function, and costs (direct and indirect costs). GESPIC has been recently expanded to recruit patients with other forms of SpA / conditions associated with SpA: acute anterior uveitis, Crohn's disease as well as with psoriasis / axial psoriatic arthritis.