Spondyloarthropathies are inflammatory joint diseases of the vertebral column^[1] associated with the MHC class I molecule HLA-B27. The term seronegative spondylarthropathy is used by medical practitioners because this set of conditions may mimic rheumatoid diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but serological (blood) tests are typically negative for rheumatoid factor (RhF).

The closely related term spondylitis implies inflammation.^[2]

[edit] Examples

Subgroups (with increased HLA-B27 frequency) are:

• ankylosing spondylitis Caucasians (AS, 92%),
• ankylosing spondylitis African-Americans (AS, 50%),
• reactive arthritis (Reiter's syndrome) (RS, 60-80%),
• enteropathic arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, 60%),
• Psoriatic arthritis (60%),
• isolated acute anterior uveitis (AAU, iritis or iridocyclitis, 50%), and
• undifferentiated SpA (USpA, 20-25%).

Whipple disease and Behçet disease may also be linked to HLA-B27, as may undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Information from the American College of Rheumatology
• Spondyloarthropathies: Update on Diagnosis and Treatment from ConsultantLive.

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