ABSTRACT
Clustered occurrences of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in family have been noticed. We evaluated patients with AS confirmed by the modified New York criteria for familial history of AS (one or more first to third degree relatives). The clinical characteristics and the recurrence risks (number of AS patients/number of familial members) of the familial AS compared to sporadic AS were investigated. Out of a total of 204 AS patients, 38 patients (18.6%) reported that they had a familial history of AS. The recurrence risks in the familial AS patients for first, second and third degree family members were 14.5%, 5.2%, and 4.4% respectively. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (22.6+/-22.2 vs 35.4+/-34.4, P=0.029) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (1.24+/-1.7 vs 2.43+/-3.3, P=0.003) at diagnosis, body mass index (21.9+/-2.7 vs 23.7+/-3.3, P=0.002) and frequency of oligoarthritis (13.2% vs 33.7%, P=0.021) were significantly lower in the familial form. The presence of HLA-B27 (97.4% vs 83.1%, P=0.044) was significantly higher in familial AS. In conclusion, Korean familial AS patients show a lower frequency of oligoarthritis, lower BMI, lower ESR and CRP at diagnosis and higher presence of HLA-B27.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Age Factors , Arthritis, Juvenile/diagnosis , Blood Sedimentation , Body Mass Index , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , Demography , Family , HLA-B27 Antigen/metabolism , Interviews as Topic , Phenotype , Recurrence , Republic of Korea , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Sex Factors , Spondylitis, Ankylosing/diagnosisABSTRACT
Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (USpA) includes the forms that do not meet criteria for the established categories of spondyloarthropathy. The clinical spectrum of USpA is therefore wide and few studies have been published on USpA, especially peripheral arthritis. A total of 107 patients fulfilling the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria for SpA were studied retrospectively by a chart review and interview by a rheumatologist. Peripheral arthritis, excluding hip and shoulder involvement, occurred in 97 of the 107 patients (91%). Joint involvement tended to be monoarticular or pauciarticular, and most frequently developed in peripheral joints including the knee and ankle. Among the 97 patients with peripheral arthritis, only 37 (35%) had a persistent arthritis. HLA-B27 was detected in 80 patients (78%). Peripheral arthritis was found in the lower extremities regardless of symmetry or asymmetry and tended to run a benign course with only a few patients having persistent arthritis