The relationship between smoking and ankylosing spondylitis on some serum biomarkers

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is arthritis that affects the spine cause inflammatory stiffening of it. The disease affects both cartilaginous joints of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. Ossification of ligaments and spinal fusion with a typical stooped posture has been shown when disease was developed. Tobacco smoking consist of a complex mixture of various agents had many toxic effects so it has a negative influence on spinal activity, functional ability and mobility in AS. The pathogenesis of AS is imprecise and possible of several pro-inflammatory cytokine formation is leading to many pathogenic consequences. The liver responsible for releasing several types of acute phase proteins (APP) containing the fetuin- A (FA) as counter-regulatory mechanism. Vitamin D (VD) is very important for bone health, and has also been linked with immune function and protection against cancer. This study was designed to clarify the impact tobacco smoking on serum fetuin A, vitamin D and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels in Iraqi male with ankylosing spondylitis. Cross- sectional study was done in Baghdad Teaching Hospital/ Medical City from April to August 2016. The number of both AS and volunteers are seventy-eight; their mean age were (36.53 ± 8.46) and (33.04 ± 9.74) years respectively. All of them were classified into four groups depending on healthy status and tobacco smoke. Blood sample was drawn from vein of each participant to determine the above serum biomarkers by ELISA. The result showed not significant variations in measuring hemoglobin (HGB) but significant increase of white blood cells (WBCs), platelets count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR){P values list > 0.05, < 0.05, < 0.05 and