title: Chronic synovitis and HLA B27 in patients with severe haemophilia.
abstract: Chronic synovitis affects about 10% of patients with severe haemophilia in India. This disease has some features in common with ankylosing spondylitis, which has been linked to HLA B27. We therefore aimed to test whether there is an association between HLA B27 and chronic synovitis. We studied 473 patients with severe haemophilia (33 of whom had chronic synovitis), and 1175 healthy controls using a standard serological technique and the reverse line strip assay. 64% (21 of 33) of patients with haemophilia and chronic synovitis were positive for HLA B27, compared with 5% (23 of 440) of those with severe haemophilia, but not chronic synovitis (odds ratio 31.6 [95% CI 9.28-39.38], p<0.0001), and 9% (100 of 1175) of healthy controls (18.81 [9.6-27.7], p<0.0001). We conclude that there is a strong association between HLA B27 and chronic synovitis in Indian patients with severe haemophilia and screening in this population could allow treatment and prevention of the complication.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunohaematology, Floor 13, New Building, KEM Hospital Campus, Parel, 400 012, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Kanjaksha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Umapathy
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Shankarkumar
authors.forename: Shrimati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Dipika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mohanty
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D013585:Synovitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen