Research Article The Effect of Whole-Body Cryotherapy at Different Temperatures on Proinflammatory Cytokines, Oxidative Stress Parameters, and Disease Activity in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Anna Straburzyńska-Lupa , 1 Magdalena Paulina Kasprzak , 2 Mateusz Wojciech Romanowski , 3 Anna Kwaśniewska, 4 Wojciech Romanowski, 4 Maria Iskra, 2 and Radosław Rutkowski 1 1 Chair of Physical Therapy and Sports Recovery, Poznan University of Physical Education, Droga Dębińska 10C, 61-555 Poznań, Poland 2 Department of General Chemistry, Chair of Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 9, 60-806 Poznań, Poland 3 Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 28 Czerwca 1956 135/147, 61-545 Poznań, Poland 4 Rheumatological Centre in Śrem, Mickiewicza 95, 63-100 Śrem, Poland Correspondence should be addressed to Anna Straburzyńska-Lupa; a.straburzynskalupa@gmail.com Received 28 May 2018; Revised 23 August 2018; Accepted 28 August 2018; Published 3 October 2018 Academic Editor: Jeferson L. Franco Copyright © 2018 Anna Straburzyńska-Lupa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Purpose. Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, increased oxidants, and decreased antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) at -110 ° C and -60 ° C, on disease activity, selected proinflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress in patients with AS. Methods. Sixty-five patients with AS were recruited to one of three study procedures: WBC at -110 ° C, -60 ° C, or exercise therapy (non-WBC). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP), concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP), and the concentrations of interleukin 8 and 17 (IL-8, IL-17) were measured at the beginning of the study and at the end of the intervention. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as a lipid peroxidation result, and total antioxidant status, an antioxidant organism potential, were measured. Results. All the studied groups showed significantly decreased posttherapy disease activity expressed as a function of the BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, and the IL-8 concentration. We found that the TBARS concentration after therapy was significantly increased in the WBC at -110 ° C group. A comparison of the therapeutic effects between the treatment groups showed a significantly lower BASDAI after therapy in the WBC at -110 ° C group compared to the non-WBC group. Conclusion. WBC at -110 ° C had a positive effect on lowering AS clinical activity as measured by the BASDAI. 1. Introduction Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune-related, chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease of unknown etiol- ogy. This condition typically occurs in men and mainly affects the axial skeleton and extra-articular structures. It may also involve the peripheral joints and specific organs like the eyes or the bowel [1, 2]. It has been demonstrated that there is increased bone formation at sites of inflammation in ankyloses [3]. Clinically AS is characterized by pain, reduced spine mobility, and functional impairments [1, 2]. The pathophysiology of AS is not fully recognized. It is Hindawi Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Volume 2018, Article ID 2157496, 8 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2157496