Sclerostin and antisclerostin antibody serum levels predict the presence of axial spondyloarthritis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Objective.The early diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated spondyloarthritis (SpA/IBD) in patients affected by IBD represents a major topic in clinical practice; in particular, to date there are no available serum biomarkers revealing the presence of joint inflammation in these patients. Sclerostin (SOST), an antagonist of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and antisclerostin-immunoglobulin G (anti-SOST–IgG) have been recently studied in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) as a putative marker of disease activity.Methods.SOST and anti-SOST-IgG serum levels were assayed in 125 patients with IBD, 85 with axial or peripheral SpA, and in control groups (patients with AS and rheu…