HLA-B60 and B61 are strongly associated with ankylosing spondylitis in HLA-B27-negative Taiwan Chinese patients.
OBJECTIVE
Carriage of HLA-B60 has been shown to increase the risk of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in B27-positive Caucasian patients, but the association in B27-negative cases is less certain. This study assessed HLA class I gene associations in Chinese HLA-B27-negative AS patients.


METHODS
Forty-one Chinese HLA-B27-negative AS patients fulfilling the modified New York diagnostic criteria for AS were recruited, and 11 383 HLA-B27-negative blood donors were used for comparison. HLA-A and -B typing was done with the microlymphocytotoxicity assay.


RESULTS
Among the B27-negative AS patients, 21 were male and 20 were female. Of HLA-B alleles, only B60 and B61 significantly increased susceptibility to AS in HLA-B27-negative patients (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In Taiwan Chinese, carriage of B60 is increased in HLA-B27-negative AS patients. The association between B61 and HLA-B27-negative AS patients has not been reported previously. Whether the gene involved is HLA-B60 or B61 or another gene in linkage disequilibrium with these genes is unknown.
Wei
J C C
JC
Division of Allergy-Immunology-Rheumatology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shpai Road, Beitou Chiu, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsai
W C
WC
Lin
H S
HS
Tsai
C Y
CY
Chou
C T
CT
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013624:Taiwan; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; C081918:HLA-B60 antigen; C079077:HLA-B61 antigen