HLA-B27 and B5 and disease association in the Jordanian population

Abstract EN

Objective : To determine the frequency of HLA-B5 and HLA-B27 among patients with rheumatic disease and a control group of kidney and bone marrow donors.

Method: Seven hundred and fifty four normal subjects and 415 patients (82 females and 333 males) diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis, Behcet's disease and anterior or posterior uveitis were typedfor HLA-B27 andHLA- B5 antigens by the serological method over a period of four years (1992-1996).

Results : The frequency of normal control subjects who were typed for both HLA-B27& HLA-B5 antigens were 3.4 % and 2.9 %, respectively.

In the patients group the highest frequency of HLA B27 antigen was found in ankylosing spondylitis and of HLA-B5 in Behcet's disease patients.

Conclusion: The frequency of HLA-B2 7 was raised in ankylosing spondylitis patients (28.8 %) as compared to the control.

The HLA-B5 antigen was significantly associated with Behcet's disease and uveitis with the frequencies of 19.4 % and 19.4 %, respectively, as compared to the control.