ACCELERATION OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS FOLLOWING SARS-COV-2 INFECTION: A BIOMARKER-BASED STUDY OF CARTILAGE TURNOVER

The emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019 initiated an unprecedented global health crisis. Coronavirus disease 2019 rapidly evolved into a pandemic, affecting hundreds of millions of individuals and resulting in millions of deaths worldwide. While the acute respiratory manifestations of the infection initially dominated clinical attention, it soon became evident that COVID-19 represents a systemic inflammatory condition capable of affecting multiple organ systems. Beyond pulmonary complications, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with cardiovascular injury, thromboembolic phenomena, neurological dysfunction, autoimmune activation, and prolonged post-viral syndromes. Of particular concern has been its impact on patients with pre-existing chronic inflammatory diseases.