title: Clinical features and prognosis of HLA B27-associated acute anterior uveitis in an Italian patient population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report clinical features and prognosis of HLA B27 acute anterior uveitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  165 patients with recurrent acute anterior uveitis were divided into two groups: HLA B27-positive (group 1, 60 patients) and HLA B27-negative (group 2, 105 patients). A comparison between the two groups was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unilateral involvement was higher in group 1 (p = .046), and more simultaneous bilateral cases occurred in group 2 (p = .004). Group 1 was more correlated to systemic diseases than group 2 (50 versus 17.1%, p < .001), particularly to ankylosing spondylitis (35 versus 3.8%, p < .001). Uveitis was diagnosed before spondylitis in 57% of patients. In groups 1 and 2 an immunosuppressive therapy was administered to 20 and 9.5% of patients but was exclusively given to control uveitis in 1.6 and in 2.8% of cases, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A strong association between HLA B27 uveitis and ankylosing spondylitis was confirmed and usually uveitis preceded rheumatological involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ocular Immunovirology Service, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Accorinti
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iannetti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liverani
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caggiano
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilardi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents