Association of various inflammatory diseases with human leukocyte antigens B27, B7, Bw4 and Bw6 in patients with SSA

Seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SSA) are a group of inflammatory disorders, which clinically involve the axial skeleton and the sacroiliiac and shoulder joints. The aim of the present study was to study the association of HLA B27, B7, Bw4 and Bw6 with some inflammatory diseases, in SSA patients in our area. A total of 220 SSA patients were studied and HLA typing for these antigens were done by the complement-mediated microcytotoxicity method. The total positivity of B27 was found to be 68.64% in SSA patients. Tubercular infection (χ² = 8.06) and acute anterior uveitis (χ² = 6.19) were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) in B27-positive SSA patients. Tuberculosis was also found to be significantly (χ² = 6.40) associated with Bw4. In SSA urinary tract infection, gastrointestinal infection and streptococcal infection were not significantly associated with B27, B7, Bw4 or Bw6 antigens. Our study concludes that microbial infections do have some pathogenic role in causing SSA.