Clinical features and prognosis of HLA B27-associated acute anterior uveitis in an Italian patient population.
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.
Accorinti
Massimo
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Ocular Immunovirology Service, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Iannetti
Ludovico
L
Liverani
Marco
M
Caggiano
Claudio
C
Gilardi
Marta
M
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
D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents