What Does Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 Have to Do with Spondyloarthritis?

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B27 is the key laboratory parameter for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Its prevalence is variable across different geographic zones and ethnicities, and often mirrors the prevalence of axSpA. HLA-B27 plays a role in axSpA physiopathology.

Added Value of Anti-CD74 Autoantibodies in Axial SpondyloArthritis in a Population With Low HLA-B27 Prevalence.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is often diagnosed late due to the non-specific nature of its main symptom [chronic back pain (CBP)] and to the paucity of diagnostic markers, particularly in regions with low HLA-B27 prevalence, such as the Middle-East. We tested the performance of IgG4 and IgA anti-CD74 antibodies as an early diagnostic marker for axSpA, compared with the performance of HLA-B27, in Lebanon. Sera of axSpA patients diagnosed by the rheumatologist and also fulfilling the imaging arm of the ASAS criteria (patients) and of blood donors (BD) (controls) were analyzed for HLA-B27, IgG4 and IgA anti-CD74, blinded to clinical characteristics.

Patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis treatments: results from the national cross-sectional LERACS study.

Introduction: To investigate the treatment preferences of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine whether these preferences are related to specific disease characteristics.

Method: A national survey was designed to collect demographic, disease, treatment, and preference data on RA patients enrolled in 7 private and university hospital clinics in Lebanon. Associations between patient factors and treatment preferences for RA were analyzed by or Mann-Whitney test.

HLA B27 antigen in Middle Eastern and Arab countries: systematic review of the strength of association with axial spondyloarthritis and methodological gaps.

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a relatively frequent and debilitating disease, with a prevalence ranging from 0.1 to 2% in the Caucasian population. Current Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria of AxSpA rely either on sacroiliitis on imaging plus one SpA feature or positive HLAB27 antigen plus two SpA features, in a patient with chronic low back pain and age at onset of less than 45 years.