ABSTRACT
Objective:
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints. The relation between HLA B-27 and AS is one of the most interesting models for the association between a molecule and human disease. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the clinical, laboratory and radiologic findings and treatment of HLA B-27 negative AS patients and to compare with HLA B-27 positive AS patients.
Methods:
In this study, medical files of 451 patients who were classified as AS according to 1984 Modified New York and 2009 ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society) classification criteria were retrospectively evaluated. The demographic features, clinical and laboratory findings and treatments of the HLA B-27 positive and nepative AS patients were recorded and compared with apropriate statistical tests.
Results:
Of the 451 AS patients, 340 (75.4%) were HLA B-27 positive. Gender, age, age at the beginning of symptoms, age at diagnosis, delay in diagnosis, frequency of radyographic sacroiliitis and treatment choices did not show any difference among groups (p>0.05, for all). Uveitis was more common in HLA B-27 positive AS patients (p=0.010) whereas inflammatory bowel disease was more common in HLA B-27 negative AS patients (p=0.002).
Conclusion:
In this study, HLA B-27 was not decisive for the features of AS. It is known that there are roles of other genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of AS. Some of the differences may result from these genetic differences.