XXXX : a clinical case-control study.

@entity1 @entity442 @entity5039 @entity2012 @entity2720 @entity413
@entity2720 is the major cause of morbidity in @entity2012 . To feature the spinal involvement, 54 @entity1 with active @entity2012 (27 @entity1 , 27 @entity1 ; age range, 21-69 yr) and 54 sex-, age-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this observational analytical prospective case-control study. A questionnaire to describe onset, duration, and severity of articular symptoms; rheumatological examination, including vertebral and chest mobility, Schober test, thorax expansion, and axial radiological study; and @entity442 , GH, insulin, and @entity413 level measurement (baseline and after an oral @entity413 tolerance test) was used to investigate the prevalence of @entity2720 and correlate these findings with hormonal parameters. Axial @entity2720 was found in 28 @entity1 (52%) and 12 controls (22%; chi(2) = 8.9; P = 0.003). In detail, spinal mobility was reduced in 30 @entity1 (56%) and 10 controls (18%; chi(2) = 14.3; P < 0.0001), thoracic cage was involved in six @entity1 (11%), alterations of spinal profile were observed in 37 @entity1 (68%) and 15 controls (28%; chi(2) = 16.3; P < 0.0001), and increased L2 vertebra diameters were observed in 34 @entity1 (63%) and none of the controls (chi(2) = 46.7; P < 0.0001). Narrowing and widening of L2-L3 disk space were found in 20 (37%) and seven (13%) @entity1 , respectively. Features of @entity5039 ( @entity5039 ) were found in 11 @entity1 (20%) and none of the controls (chi(2) = 10.1; P < 0.001). Disease duration was correlated with vertebral body height (P = 0.001) or intervertebral space height (P = 0.02), and lumbar mobility with thorax expansion (P = 0.004); @entity5039 severity was correlated with basal (P = 0.04) and peak (P = 0.01) @entity413 levels after @entity413 load. In conclusion, chronic GH and @entity442 excess typically affects the axial skeleton with development of severe alterations of spine morphology and function until features of @entity5039 occur. An early diagnosis of @entity2012 is mandatory to reduce the severity of spine abnormalities as they were significantly higher in @entity1 with longer disease duration.
