title: Association of HLA-B*27 with ankylosing spondylitis in Kurdish patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*27 among a healthy Kurdish population and in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of HLA-B*27 was investigated in 209 healthy donors recruited from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and in 41 diagnosed ankylosing spondylitis patients. The HLA statuses for the patients and healthy donors were determined by using the low-resolution Olerup SSP®HLA typing kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that the prevalence of HLA-B*27 in healthy Kurdish donors was 3.8% (8/209). While the prevalence of HLA-B*27 in patients with ankylosing spondylitis was 65.9% (27/41 studied) with a P-value of < 0.01. The relative risk of having the disease is 12 times higher in individuals with HLA-B*27 compared to those who do not have it. The male-to-female ratio was 5.8 : 1 in HLA-B*27 positive patients. The disease onset is earlier in HLA-B*27-positive patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From this study, we can conclude that the prevalence of HLA-B*27 among the Kurdish healthy population is 3.8% and there is a strong association between HLA-B*27 and ankylosing spondylitis patients in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunogenetics, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Rawand
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Al-Qadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunogenetics, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Saadallah Fareeq
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Salih
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunogenetics, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Heleen Jalal
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: AlDoski
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunogenetics, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nabeel
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunogenetics, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Jumaa Hussein
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Djwar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khasho
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Duhok Specialized Laboratory Center, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.|Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Duhok, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq.
authors.forename: Rafil Toma
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Yaqo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen
keywords: HLA-B*27; ankylosing spondylitis; spondyloarthritis