Min HK, et al. - Researchers compared ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nrAxSpA) of young male patients with respect to clinical, laboratory and radiographic features of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Further, they determined the factors predictive of the baseline inflammatory status of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in axSpA. For this purpose, the medical records of 322 patients who visited their hospital due to inflammatory back pain were retrospectively reviewed, and 159 male patients with axSpA were enrolled. According to laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding, acute inflammatory state was more frequent in AS patients than nrAxSpA patients. Findings revealed a significant association of baseline sacroiliitis grade with baseline inflammatory SPondyloArthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) score of SIJ. They suggest a possible requirement for more intense initial treatment in AS patients to resolve active inflammatory lesion of SIJ and prevent further radiologic progression.