BACKGROUND: The standard PCR with sequence-specific primers (SSP) is a widely used method of HLA-B27 typing in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to evaluate 2 Korean HLA-B27 kits with different real-time PCR chemistries. METHODS: To validate the accuracy of real-time PCR kits, we selected 28 HLA-B27-positive samples and 33 HLA-B27-negative samples with a wide range of different HLA-B specificities typed by standard PCR-SSP. The 2 real-time PCR kits used were the AccuPower(R) HLA-B27 real-time PCR kit (Bioneer, Korea) with TaqMan probes and the Real-Q(TM) HLA-B*27 detection kit (BioSewoom, Korea) with SYBR Green I dye for melting curve analysis. RESULTS: All 61 samples typed by PCR-SSP demonstrated a perfect concordance with the 2 real-time PCR assays. It was possible to clearly discriminate between HLA-B27-positive and -negative samples in both real-time assays. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, both real-time PCR assays for HLA-B27 were fast, reliable, well-adapted for routine laboratory testing, and attractive alternatives to the conventional PCR-SSP method.
HLA-B27 Antigen/*analysis ; Histocompatibility Testing/*methods ; Humans ; Organic Chemicals/chemistry ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Transition Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequencies distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 subtypes in unrelated healthy Chinese.

METHODPolymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCRSBT) was used to determine HLA high-resolution genotypes of 825 unrelated healthy Chinese.

RESULTSA total of 25 HLA-B27-positive individuals and 8 HLA-B27 subtypes were detected. These subtypes and their corresponding frequencies were B * 2704 (30.77%) , B * 2705 (23.08%), B * 2707 (19.23%), B * 2711 (7.69%), B * 2712 (7.69%), B * 2701 (3.85%), B * 2713 (3.85%) and B * 2721 (3.85%).

CONCLUSIONThe data obtained through PCR-SBT method may serve as important reference for the research of relationship between HLA-B27 subtypes and some diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; genetics

This study was to clarify whether Behcet's disease (BD) could be classified into the spondyloarthropathy (SpA) complex. It was undertaken on 58 patients with BD (BD group), 56 patients with SpA (SpA group), and 3 patients who concurrently satisfied the criteria for BD and SpA (BDSpA group). The clinical parameters and known susceptible HLA antigens were compared between BD group and SpA group. In addition, 3 patients in BDSpA group were reviewed. The prevalence of definitive sacroiliitis (SI) in BD group and SpA group was 46.4% and 5.2%, respectively. However, none had a definitive SI in healthy controls. Enthesitis was observed in 3.4% of BD group and in 50% of SpA group. The patterns of eye involvement were different between these two groups. HLA-B27 was negative in all 49 patients of BD group, whereas it was positive in 67.9% of SpA group. The prevalence of HLA-B51 was 51.7% in BD group, and that in SpA group was 21.4%. One patient in BDSpA group was considered to have concurrent BD and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Another patient was closer to AS, and the third to BD. Conclusively, it seems that BD could not be classified into the SpA complex.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/*classification/immunology/pathology ; Eye/pathology ; Female ; HLA-B Antigens/analysis/immunology ; HLA-B27 Antigen/analysis/immunology ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/pathology/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; Radioactive Tracers ; Sacroiliac Joint/pathology/radiography ; *Spondylarthritis/immunology/pathology ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

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.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Arthritis, Juvenile/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Blood Sedimentation ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Demography ; Family ; Female ; HLA-B27 Antigen/metabolism ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phenotype ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sex Factors ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/*diagnosis