"Progranulin in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: A Potential Biomarker?"

Axial Spondyloarthritis is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by inflammatory low back pain, sacroiliitis, asymmetric oligoarthritis, dactylitis, enthesitis and uveitis.

The fact that PGRN acts by binding to TNF-α receptors, the use of TNF-α inhibitors in current treatment in patients with AS and the importance of this pathway in disease pathogenesis suggested that PGRN may be a marker associated with disease activity in these patients. In this study, we aimed to compare serum PGRN and TNF-α levels in patients with AS with healthy control group and to determine the relationship between TNF-α inhibitor use and PGRN levels in patients with AS.

In our study, 80 patients aged 20-65 years who were diagnosed with AS according to ASAS 2009 criteria and followed up in our clinic will be included. Patients with pregnancy or lactation status, acute or chronic infection findings, malignancy, and the presence of concurrent secondary rheumatic diseases other than AS will be excluded. As a healthy control group, 80 people aged 20-65 years without pregnancy or lactation, acute or chronic infection, malignancy and rheumatic disease will be recruited. Age, gender, comorbidities, duration of the disease, and medications used by all patients will be recorded. In addition, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, ASQoL, ASDAS-CRP, ESR, CRP levels will be recorded to determine the severity of AS clinically in the patient group. Participants in the patient and control groups will be seen at one time and serum PGRN and TNF levels will be measured by ELISA method.