International Journal of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Research

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of spondyloarthritis characterized by sacroiliitis and involvement of the lumbar spine, often associated with positivity for the HLA-B27 gene. This study analyzed the influence of racial factors on the frequency of HLA-B27 and disease duration among AS patients in Bahia, Brazil. Forty-five patients were included, of whom 21 (47%) were Caucasian and 24 (53%) were mixed race or Black. The results showed that Caucasian patients had a significantly shorter average disease duration and a higher positivity rate for HLA-B27 compared to non-Caucasian patients. These findings highlight the importance of racial differences in the clinical manifestation of AS.

Ankylosing spondylitis, HLA-B27, ethnicity, Bahia, Brazil

1. Khan MA. HLA-B*27 and Ankylosing Spondylitis: 50 Years of Insights and Discoveries. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2023 Dec;25(12):327-340..
2. Wordsworth BP, Cohen CJ, Davidson C, Vecellio M. Perspectives on the Genetic Associations of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Front Immunol. 2021 Mar 5;12:603726. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). "Censo Demográfico 2020". Disponível em: www.ibge.gov.br.
3. Voruganti A, Bowness P. New developments in our understanding of ankylosing spondylitis pathogenesis. Immunology. 2020 Oct;161(2):94-102. .
4. Skare TL, Bortoluzzo AB, Gonçalves CR, Braga da Silva JA, Ximenes AC, Bértolo MB, Ribeiro SL, Keiserman M, Menin R, Carneiro S, Azevedo VF, Vieira WP, Albuquerque EN, Bianchi WA, Bonfiglioli R, Campanholo C, Carvalho HM, Costa IP, Duarte AP, Gavi MB, Kohem CL, Leite NH, Lima SA, Meirelles ES, Pereira IA, Pinheiro MM, Polito E, Resende GG, Rocha FA, Santiago MB, Sauma Mde F, Sampaio-Barros PD. Ethnic influence in clinical and functional measures of Brazilian patients with spondyloarthritis. J Rheumatol. 2012 Jan;39(1):141-7. 
5. Lin Z, Xu H, Gu J, Liao Z, Wei Q, Li C. Investigation and analysis on the delayed diagnosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in a Chinese population. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2008 Nov-Dec;26(6):1163.
6. Capelusnik D, Zhao SS, Boonen A, Ziade N, Medina CL, Dougados M, Nikiphorou E, Ramiro S. Individual-level and country-level socio-economic factors and health outcomes in spondyloarthritis: analysis of the ASAS-perSpA study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 May 5;61(5):2043-2053.  
7. Citera G, Bautista-Molano W, Peláez-Ballestas I, Azevedo VF, Perich RA, Méndez-Rodríguez JA, Cutri MS, Borlenghi CE. Prevalence, demographics, and clinical characteristics of Latin American patients with spondyloarthritis. Adv Rheumatol. 2021 Jan 8;61(1):2.