Determining Clinical Risk Factors for Radiographical Severity in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Daegu and Kyungpook Territories

Objective: This study was designed to identify prognostic determinants of radiographical severity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) living in Daegu and Kyungpook territories. Methods: One hundred-nineteen patients with AS were consecutively enrolled from four regional general hospitals. Clinical data including smoking habits, alcohol intake, disease duration, HLA-B27 positivity, involvement of peripheral joints, occupational activity, and regular exercise were investigated. Radiographical severity was assessed by the Modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS). Statistical analyses were performed using the independent Student's t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, and multivariate re- gression analysis. Results: Radiographical severity, as evaluated with the mSASSS, was associated with age of disease onset (p=0.011) and disease duration (p<0.001). Additionally, mSASSS was signifi-