Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the spine, causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness. This disease is more prevalent in young people. The human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is important not only in organ transplantation, blood transfusion, etc., but also in assessing susceptibility to certain diseases and their diagnosis. One of these antigens is the B27-HLA antigen, which plays an important role in assessing the pathogenesis and prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis. HLA B27 is found in approximately 90% of people with ankylosing spondylitis, making this test a useful diagnostic tool.
Methods: One of the most accurate diagnoses in identifying the HLA-B27 allele is the PCR method. The population under study in this study, Fasa County, included 77 patients with clinical symptoms of pain and inflammation in the spine. They were referred to the laboratory by rheumatology and joint doctors. After DNA extraction from the sputum and PCR using specific Taq Man probes, the results were reported as positive and negative, and sequencing was performed for final confirmation.
Results: The findings of this study revealed that 73% of the patients under study had the HLA-B27 antigen. The clinical symptoms of the disease and some immunological tests were consistent with the allelic genotype of interest in this disease, confirming the existence of an association.
Conclusion: HLA-B27 testing is used to help diagnose suspected ankylosing spondylitis (AS). HLA-B27 testing is used in conjunction with clinical symptom assessment and other immunological tests to determine if there is a comorbidity with ankylosing spondylitis.