This study was performed to define the clinical spectrum and disease manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a referral hospital setting. We identified the differences in clinical manifestations according to the sex, the age at onset, the presence of peripheral arthritis and the presence of HLA B27. A total 412 patients (357 males, 55 females) were recruited. Eighty-seven percent were men and 155 out of 412 patients (35%) were juvenile-onset. HLA B27 was detected in 385 patients (93%). Peripheral joint involvement was noted in 287 of total AS cases (juvenile- onset ankylosing spondylitis (JOAS), 82%; adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis (AOAS), 61%), and was more common than those reported in other studies. A greater portion of patients with JOAS had peripheral arthritis and peripheral enthesitis than the patients with AOAS. The patients with peripheral arthritis showed a younger age at onset and an increased tendency of having enthesitis and trauma history. The natural history of Korean AS appears largely similar to those seen in Europe and North America, except a few differences. JOAS was quite common and AS was about nine times more common in men than in women. In addition, the HLA B27 antigen frequency was 93%, which is higher than those reported in other studies.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Arthritis/*etiology/immunology ; Female ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Sex Characteristics ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/*complications/immunology

PURPOSE: Since few reports had been published on the prevalence of toxocariasis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with acute non-granulomatous anterior uveitis (ANGAU), the aim of this work was to determine the presence of antibodies against Toxocara canis in AS patients with ANGAU. METHODS: Thirty-six patients (14 female and 22 male) with AS were enrolled in the study. The history of ANGAU was accepted only if diagnosed by an ophthalmologist. The detection of IgG antibodies to T. canis was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, antibodies to Ascaris lumbricoides were also tested to verify non-specific reactions. RESULTS: The prevalence of ANGAU in the AS patients was 58% (21 / 36), and 38% (8 / 21) of the patients with ANGAU were positive for antibodies to Toxocara, while 7% (1 / 15) of AS patients without ANGAU were positive for T. canis (p = 0.038, two tails; mid-p exact). No antibodies were detected to A. lumbricoides antigens in the serum samples of patients with AS. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the seroprevalence of antibodies to T. canis is high in Mexican patients with AS-associated uveitis, suggesting a chronic asymptomatic toxocariosis, which could be associated with the pathogenesis of ANGAU; however, further larger-scale studies are needed to confirm this observation.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic/*isolation & purification ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eye Infections, Parasitic/complications/*immunology/parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/*complications/immunology/parasitology ; Toxocara canis/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Toxocariasis/complications/*immunology/parasitology ; Uveitis, Anterior/complications/*immunology/parasitology ; Young Adult