PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jürgen Braun AU - Xenofon Baraliakos AU - Kay-Geert A. Hermann AU - Stephen Xu AU - Benjamin Hsu TI - Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels Lack Predictive Value in Patients with Active Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated with Golimumab AID - 10.3899/jrheum.150897 DP - 2016 May 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 901--906 VI - 43 IP - 5 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/5/901.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/5/901.full SO - J Rheumatol2016 May 01; 43 AB - Objective. To assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) correlations with new bone formation and bone marrow edema in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with golimumab (GOL).Methods. Following placebo control (through weeks 16 and 24), GO-RAISE (A Multicenter Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Golimumab, a Fully Human Anti-TNF-α Monoclonal Antibody, Administered Subcutaneously, in Subjects with Active Ankylosing Spondylitis; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00265083) all patients received GOL; sera/images were available at weeks 0, 104, and 208. Lateral spinal radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were scored using the modified Stokes Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal MRI activity score, respectively.Results. VEGF levels and the mSASSS did not significantly correlate. Logistic regression analyses showed no association between VEGF levels and an increased risk of syndesmophyte formation at weeks 104 and 208. Pretreatment/Week 14 VEGF did not predict MRI scores/changes at Week 104.Conclusion. Serum VEGF did not predict radiographic progression/spinal inflammation in patients receiving antitumor necrosis factor.