Objective: To assess the prevalence of HLA-B27 and its subtypes in both the normal population and in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in Galicia, Northwest Spain.
Methods: The prevalence of HLA-B27 in the normal population was determined by checking the number of HLA-B27 positive samples in 308 subjects from different areas of Galicia who had donated organs over a period of 4 years. A total of 106 patients with the diagnosis of AS, according to the modified New York clinical criteria for definitive ankylosing spondylitis, were collected from three very representative areas of Galicia. HLA-B27 was determined by PCR using the primers E91s and E136as, while 11 subtypes of HLA-B27 were analyzed using a commercial kit.
Results: The prevalence of HLA-B27 in organ donors was 9.34%. HLA-B27 was present in 94.3% of patients with AS. Subtypes B*2701, B*2709 and B*2710 were not found. The subtypes found in the normal population were; B*2705 (79.5%), B*2702 (18%) and B*2708 (2.5%). The subtypes associated with AS were B*2705 (88%) and B*2702 (12%).
Conclusion: The prevalence of HLA-B27 in Galicia was 9.34%, which is higher than previously published in Spain. The frequency of the subtypes associated with AS was similar to that reported for other Spanish regions.