Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies in Brazilians: importance of HLA-B27 and the B7-CREG alleles in characterization and disease progression.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the profile of the HLA-B27 and B7 cross-reactive group (CREG) alleles and the role of these markers in disease characterization and progression in patients with undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies (uSpA).

METHODS:

A total of 80 patients with a diagnosis of uSpA (40 HLA-B27 positive and 40 HLA-B27 negative) were prospectively studied for 2 years. The control group consisted of 66 HLA-B27 positive and 112 HLA-B27 negative individuals without a history of seronegative SpA. HLA-B alleles were typed at low (B7-CREG alleles, i.e., B*7, B*54, B*55, B*56, B*40, B*42) or high resolution (B*27 alleles) using polymerase chain reaction-amplified DNA hybridized with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes.

RESULTS:

HLA-B*2705 was the most frequent allele, observed in 92.5% of the patients and in 77% of the controls, followed by the HLA-B*2702, observed in 5% of the patients and in 12% of the controls. HLA-B*2704 was observed in only one patient (2.5%), and was absent in the control population. HLA-B*2703 (6%) and HLA-B*2707 (5%) alleles were observed only in controls. No associations between HLA-B*27 alleles or B7-CREG alleles and any specific manifestation of uSpA were observed. HLA-B27 positive patients more frequently presented juvenile onset SpA (p = 0.002) and progression to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (p = 0.03) than did HLA-B27 negative patients. The B7-CREG alleles were observed in 5% of the HLA-B27 positive uSpA group, in 25% of the HLA-B27 negative uSpA group, in 7% of the HLA-B27 positive controls, and in 13% of the HLA-B27 negative controls; a significant association was observed between the presence of the B7-CREG and the HLA-B27 negative uSpA group (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION:

The frequency of the HLA-B*2705 allele among the B27 positive uSpA patients of this series was closely similar to that reported for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The presence of HLA-B*27 alleles was associated with the progression to AS, and the presence of B7-CREG was associated with uSpA in the HLA-B27 negative group.

• Authors: Percival D Sampaio-Barros, Roseneide A Conde, Eduardo A Donadi, Maria Helena S Kraemer, Ligia Persoli, Ibsen B Coimbra, Lilian Teresa L Costallat, Adil M Samara, Manoel B Bértolo
• Journal: The Journal of rheumatology (J Rheumatol) Vol. 30 Issue 12 Pg. 2632-7 (Dec 2003) ISSN: 0315-162X [Print] Canada
• PMID: 14719206 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• HLA-B27 Antigen
• HLA-B7 Antigen

Topics

• Adolescent
• Alleles
• Brazil (epidemiology)
• Child
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• HLA-B27 Antigen (genetics)
• HLA-B7 Antigen (genetics)
• Humans
• Infant
• Joints (pathology)
• Male
• Outpatients
• Prospective Studies
• Spondylitis (epidemiology, genetics, pathology)