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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2023; 29(3): 450-468
Published online Jan 21, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i3.450
Seronegative spondyloarthropathy-associated inflammatory bowel disease
Chrong-Reen Wang, Hung-Wen Tsai
Chrong-Reen Wang, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
Hung-Wen Tsai, Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
Author contributions: Wang CR designed the report; Wang CR and Tsai HW wrote the paper, collected the clinical data, and analyzed pathological specimens.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chrong-Reen Wang, MD, PhD, Full Professor, Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, No. 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 70403, Taiwan. wangcr@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Received: September 30, 2022
Peer-review started: September 30, 2022
First decision: November 17, 2022
Revised: November 18, 2022
Accepted: December 21, 2022
Article in press: December 21, 2022
Published online: January 21, 2023
Processing time: 104 Days and 2.7 Hours
Abstract

Seronegative spondyloarthropathy (SpA) usually starts in the third decade of life with negative rheumatoid factor, human leukocyte antigen-B27 genetic marker and clinical features of spinal and peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, enthesitis and extra-articular manifestations (EAMs). Cases can be classified as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, enteropathic arthritis, or juvenile-onset spondyloarthritis. Joint and gut inflammation is intricately linked in SpA and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with shared genetic and immunopathogenic mechanisms. IBD is a common EAM in SpA patients, while extraintestinal manifestations in IBD patients mostly affect the joints. Although individual protocols are available for the management of each disease, the standard therapeutic guidelines of SpA-associated IBD patients remain to be established. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended as initial therapy of peripheral and axial SpA, whereas their use is controversial in IBD due to associated disease flares. Conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are beneficial for peripheral arthritis but ineffective for axial SpA or IBD therapy. Anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies are effective medications with indicated use in SpA and IBD, and a drug of choice for treating SpA-associated IBD. Janus kinase inhibitors, approved for treating SpA and ulcerative colitis, are promising therapeutics in SpA coexistent with ulcerative colitis. A tight collaboration between gastroenterologists and rheumatologists with mutual referral from early accurate diagnosis to appropriately prompt therapy is required in this complex clinical scenario.

Keywords: Seronegative spondyloarthropathy; Inflammatory bowel disease; Biologics; Anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody; Small molecules; Janus kinases inhibitor

Core Tip: Seronegative spondyloarthropathy (SpA) with negative rheumatoid factor has spinal and peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, enthesitis and extra-articular manifestations (EAMs). It can be classified into ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, enteropathic arthritis, and juvenile-onset spondyloarthritis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common EAM in SpA, whereas extraintestinal manifestations in IBD mostly affect the joints. Anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies are effective medications with indicated use in SpA and IBD, a drug of choice for treating SpA-associated IBD. A tight collaboration between gastroenterologists and rheumatologists with mutual referral from early accurate diagnosis to prompt therapy is required in this complex clinical scenario.