Comparison of undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy patients with positive or negetive HLA-B27

Objective:To investigate the significance of HLA-B27 in the progression and prognosis of patients with undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy(uSpA).Methods:The clinical and laboratory manifestations of 78 uSpA patients with positive HLA-B27 were analyzed and compared with those of 42 patients wit negative HLA-B27.Some of the patients were followed up for 3 years to observe the changes of pathogenetic condition.Results:The HLA-B27(+) patients had an earlier onset of disease(P0.05),and more HLA-B27(+) patients developed general symptoms including fever,weight loss and languor(P0.05).In the laboratory examination,the erythrocyte sedimentation rates of HLA-B27(+)group were also increased(P0.05).There was significant difference in X-ray manifestations between the two groups(P0.05).One year later,more patients in HLA-B27(+)group developed ankylosing spondylitis(AS)(P0.05).Conclusions:HLA-B27(+) uSpA patients have severer symptoms and a higher rate of developing AS than HLA-B27(-) patients.HLA-B27 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of uSpA.