title: Quantitative measurement of HLA-B27 mRNA in patients with ankylosing spondylitis-- correlation with clinical activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine quantitative expression of HLA-B27 in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and the relationship to clinical disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using specific primers to amplify the post-splicing mRNA of HLA-B27 gene in patients with AS (N = 15), B27+ healthy controls (N = 20), and B27+ unaffected family members (N = 30). Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores and expression of B27 mRNA were determined simultaneously. Serial measurements of B27 mRNA in one AS patient within a 9-month period were analyzed to determine the relationship between BASDAI scores and clinical therapy. For further validation of the significance of increased HLA-B27 mRNA expression in AS patients, extended experiments were conducted in another 10 patients with definite AS possessing HLA-B27/B60 (B*40012). Quantitative expression of HLA-B27 and B60 mRNA were determined simultaneously by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expressions of HLA-B27 mRNA in HLA-B27+ AS patients were significantly higher compared to unaffected B27+ family members and B27+ controls. mRNA for HLA-B27 was observed to be present in higher amounts than for other HLA class I alleles. It was also noted that the BASDAI data were correlated with HLA-B27 mRNA estimated as 2DeltaDeltaCT in patients with definite AS. From a longitudinal case analysis, data on quantitative measurement of HLA-B27 mRNA was shown to be valuable for patient's management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of mRNA of HLA-B27 determined with quantitative RT-PCR correlated with clinical disease activity in patients with AS.
authors.affiliation: Section of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, DaLin Tzu Chi Buddhist Hospital, Dalin Town, City of ChiaYi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Su-Qin
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yong-Zhang
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Ning-Sheng
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008775:Methylprednisolone