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The following is a summary of “Performance of classification criteria for spondyloarthritis: where do we stand in many Latin American countries? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis,” published in the May 2025 issue of Clinical Rheumatology by Calixto et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the validity and performance of Latin American population of spondyloarthritis (SpA) classification criteria.  

They performed a systematic literature review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42023464861). Searches were conducted in Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Virtual Health Library using the PIRO framework. Studies evaluating the performance of SpA classification criteria in Latin American populations were included. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated through a proportional meta-analysis using a random-effects model, followed by a sensitivity analysis.  

The results showed that 6 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Less than 10% of participants in the multinational studies were from Latin America. Most studies used the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria and clinical diagnosis as the reference standard. The Amor criteria demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 46%. The ESSG criteria showed a pooled sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 35%. The ASAS criteria had a pooled sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 43%.  

Investigators concluded that the ASAS classification criteria provided the most balanced sensitivity and specificity in Latin American populations for SpA, though further high-quality validation studies were warranted. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10067-025-07474-0