ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of sulfasalazine combined with thalidomide in the treatment of spondyloarthropathy (SpA), and to probe whether the treatment can reach and maintain clinical remission for the patients. MethodBetween January 2011 and June 2013, we used a prospective, non-intervention and regular follow-up study to observe and assess 70 SpA patients on their Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index, visual analogue scale score, peripheral arthritis, blood sedimentation, and C-reactive protein. All the patients had taken sulfasalazine, thalidomide and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 24 weeks. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting the efficacy of the program was our object of this study. ResultsAfter 24 weeks, the total clinical remission rate of these patients was 72.9%. Clinical remission rate of 40 patients with short duration of SpA was 90.0%, while it was 50.0% for the other 30 patients with a non-short duration of SpA. Observation indexes before and after treatment in both groups of patients had significant differences (P<0.05). For patients with non-short duration SpA, the curative effect for female was obviously better than male, but the difference between male and female patients with short-duration SpA was not so obvious. Clinical remission rate for youth was similar with that for non-youth patients. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that whether the disease had a short duration[OR=3.408, 95%CI (1.637, 7.437), P=0.001] and whether the patients were urban residents[OR=4.163, 95%CI (2.011, 8.761), P=0.001] were statistically significant (P<0.05). ConclusionsClinical remission of spondyloarthropathy can be maintain by sulfasalazine combined with thalidomide. Clinical remission rate of the scheme is affected by duration of disease and residency except age and gender of the patients. Short duration and urban residency are independent factors for reaching clinical remission after treatment.