Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis with IgA Nephropathy

Clinical cases of concomitant spndyloarthritis and IgA nephropathy has been reported in the mid-70s. It has been found that ankylosing spondylitis patients are more affected by IgA kidney disease than those that have no AS problems. It is believed that the two illness conditions share some common things in their pathogenesis. Both the diseases involve the decreased expression of the receptor that is responsible for IgA clearance as well as the deposition of immune complexes on the surface of monocytes and neutrophils.

Though the exact cause of ankylosing spondylitis among IgA nephropathy patients is unknown, it has something to do with the immune disorders and immune dysfunctions.

There is at present no cure for ankylosing spondylitis at present, but early and effective treatment can help ease symptoms and pains and improve prognosis. The aims of treatment is to ease pains, reduce inflammations, maintain spinal mobility, prevent joint deformation so as to help improve the patient’s life quality.

The following are treatments for ankylosing spondylitis patients:

·medicines such as NASID helps reduce inflammations so as to help ease pains and paravertebral contraction.

·surgeries such as osteotomies and arthroplasties, but they are only recommended for debilitating forms of ankylosing spondylitis.

·medical gymnastics or practice of certain sports such as swimming can also help.

With the continuous medical development, more and more treatment options are available for patients suffering from both ankylosing spondylitis and IgA nephropathy. Based on the pathogenesis of auto-immune kidney disease, a new therapy called immunotherapy is created. It has been proved to be effective because it can not only help ease symptoms and discomforts caused by IgA nephropathy and ankylosing spondylitis, but also can act on the patient’s immune system to regulate immune disorders and enhance the patient’s immunity so that the disease can be treated from the very root. If it is received in the early stage, the prognosis of IgA nephropathy and ankylosing spondylitis can be greatly enhanced.