Thirty years after its discovery, the association between HLA-B27 and ankylosing spondylitis remains the strongest known relationship between a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen and a disease. Epidemiological studies in the 1960s and early 1970s identified close links between several…
The most frequent manifestation is back pain, but disease can begin in peripheral joints, especially in children and women, and rarely with acute iridocyclitis (iritis or anterior uveitis). Other early symptoms and signs are diminished chest expansion from diffuse costovertebral…
Leaky Gut Syndromes: Breaking The Vicious Cycle
From the perspective of function, the contents of the gut lumen lie outside the body and contain a toxic/antigenic load from which the body needs to be protected. Protection is supplied by complex mechanisms which support one another: intestinal secretions…
History: Individuals typically complain of a gradual onset of low back pain and associated muscle spasms experienced over several months. The pain is usually described as worse in the morning and improving during the day. It may have followed a…
Is Ankylosing Spondylitis Hereditary?
Although ankylosing spondylitis causes are unknown, there appears to be a genetic prevalence to the disease (transmitted from parents to children) for most people. Many children with this disease were born displaying a given HLA-B27 gene. However, if the gene…
Introduction: The prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is estimated to be 0.8% in southern Chinese. However, the number of patients requiring spinal surgery is much less and in fact in declining trend. The exact reason is not certain but is…
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, though it is considered an autoimmune disease. HLA-B27 is the risk factor most often associated with AS, and although the mechanism of involvement is unclear, the subtypes and other…
Effects of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Although other joints can be involved, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) primarily affects the spine. In this particular type of arthritis, the joints and ligaments of the spine become inflamed. This can cause back pain and stiffness. In time, the bones may…
Myths About Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) Only Affects the Back No. Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a form of inflammatory, painful arthritis that mainly affects the lower back and spinal joints (vertebrae). However, other joints such as the knee, shoulders, hips, ribs, heels and…
Ankylosing Spondylitis (Reactive Arthritis of the Spine)
If your back is stiff and hurts when you move, if it hurts to touch two points at the side of the top of your pelvis where it joins your spine (the sacroiliac joint), and if your back x ray…
