Relationship between disease activity and infection in patients with spondyloarthropathies.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between disease activity and signs and symptoms of infection in Mexican patients with spondyloarthropathies (SpA).


METHODS
A cross sectional study of 95 non-selected patients with SpA (62 men; mean age 26.4 years), who were examined for signs and symptoms of infection and their association with disease activity. 52 had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 32 undifferentiated SpA (uSpA), 6 chronic reactive arthritis (ReA), and 5 psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Categorical data were analysed by chi(2) or Fisher's tests.


RESULTS
53 (56%) patients had infections: 41 (43%) upper respiratory tract (URT), 34 (36%) enteric, and 20 (21%) genitourinary infections. More infections occurred in HLA-B27 positive patients as a whole (39 v 5; p = 0.003) and in uSpA (12 v 2; p = 0.005). In AS and uSpA, infections occurred in approximately 50%. 30/39 (77%) patients with active disease (group A) and 23/56 (41%) (group B) (p = 0.001) had infection. There were more enteric infections in group A (47%; p<0.001) and more URT infections in group B (52%; p = NS). 22/30 (73%) patients attributed disease activity to infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Enteric, and less commonly, URT infections in Mexican patients with SpA, particularly those who were HLA-B27 positive, seem to have a role in the active phase of AS and uSpA.
Martínez
A
A
Hospital General de México, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr Balmis 148, México DF 06726.
Pacheco-Tena
C
C
Vázquez-Mellado
J
J
Burgos-Vargas
R
R
D000328:Adult; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications; D025242:Spondylarthropathies / Q000382:microbiology*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000382:microbiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000150:complications
D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins