Frequency of HLA-Class I Allel in Patients with Spondyloarthropathy

Abstract

Spondyloarthropathy (SpA) is a group of multi-systemic diseases, whose pathogenesis is not known, characterized by spinal inflammation, peripheral arthritis, and with a lower frequency by extra-articular involvement. Brevverton and Schlosstein introduced the relationship between HLA-B27 and the disease. Along with HLA-B27, the relationship of the disease with other HLA molecules was also shown in studies. Taking this information as a starting point and knowing that the disease is related to ethnic differences, we aimed to investigate the role of the HLA-A and –B alleles in Turkish patients with SpA. Typing of the patients (n=784) was performed by the complement-dependent lymphotoxicity method. The HLA-A and –B tissue groups of the control group (n: 1060) were determined by using serological or molecular methods. The frequency of HLA-B27 in patients was determined as 27%. When B27-negative patients were compared with B27-negative controls, HLA-A29 was found significantly higher in the patients (p: 0.0003, pc: 0.004). Although HLA-B60 was found significantly higher in the patients (p: 0.02), a statistical significance could not be obtained after performing the Bonferroni correction method (pc>0.05). When B27positive patients and controls were compared, HLA-A3 (p:0.0005, pc:0.008), HLA-B35 (P<0.0001, pc<0.003), HLA-B51 (P<0.0001, pc<0.003), and HLA-B52 (P<0.0001, pc:0.03) were found significantly higher in the control group, while HLA-B27 allele is related with the development of the disease. It has been shown in other studies that other HLA molecules together with ethnic differences may have an effect in liability to and protectiveness from the disease.