Evaluating the Efficacy and Short-Term Prognosis of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Ankylosing Spondylitis(AS): A Protocol for a Cohort Study

Evaluating the Efficacy and Short-Term Prognosis of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Ankylosing Spondylitis(AS): A Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

This study is a multicenter, prospective cohort study designed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on short-term functional improvement in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) at 6 months of treatment as the primary outcome measure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• fulfill the 1984 modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis or the 2009 Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis
• age between 18 and 75 years
• sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• diagnosis of other autoimmune diseases besides the disease under investigation (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, erythema nodosum, myositis, etc.)
• pregnancy or lactation
• comorbid severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, hepatic or renal failure, or malignancy
• spondyloarthritis related to enteropathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or reactive arthritis
• unable to provide data due to mental, language, or similar factors.