title: Pattern of ankylosing spondylitis in an Iranian population of 98 patients.
abstract: The prevalence and pattern of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can vary from country to country, according to genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to analyze the patterns of disease in a population of Iranian patients with AS. We performed a prospective study (2002-2007) analyzing 98 patients with diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria. Selected patients underwent complete clinical (initial symptom, axial and peripheral involvement, heel enthesitis, extra-articular manifestations) and radiological (sacroiliac, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine) investigations, and these data were compared with sex, age at onset, and HLA-B27. There was predominance of men (71.4%), adult onset (>16 years, 90.8%), and positive HLA-B27 (73.4%). Family history of AS was noted in 14.3% of the patients. The predominant initial symptoms were inflammatory low back pain (44.2%). Radiological findings included syndesmophytes in 34.7% and "bamboo spine" in 16.3% of patients. Acute anterior uveitis was noted in 44.9% of patients. Male sex was associated with involvement of shoulder (P = 0.001). Female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extra-articular involvement. Positive HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement (P = 0.042) and adult-onset AS (P = 0.035). Analysis of the patterns of disease in this population of 98 southern Iranian patients with AS revealed that female sex and juvenile-onset AS were associated with extensive extra-axial involvement; and HLA-B27 was associated with hip involvement.
authors.affiliation: Autoimmune Disease Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nazarinia
authors.forename: Fariborz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffarpasand
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Heiran
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Habibagahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen