Quantitative analysis of digitopalmar dermatoglyphics in men with ankylosing spondylitis

Dermatoglyphic pattern analysis, one of the genetic methods, was used to determine digitopalmar ridge count in 40 men with ankylosing spondylitis. Twenty-two variables (ridge count on each of the ten fingers, their sum on five and ten fingers, four traits on each palm, i.e. ridge count between a-b, b-c and c-d triradii, and atd angles on the palms as well as their bilateral sum) were determined. The data thus obtained were compared with digitopalmar prints of 200 healthy men who served as a control group. A significant difference from the control group was found for six variables. The atd angle was reduced on both palms and consequentially in the overall sum. Ridge count was decreased between the b-c triradius on the left palm and increased on the third finger tip bilaterally. Accordingly, a polygenic system identical in some loci to the polygenic system predisposing to ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility might be found responsible for the dermatoglyphic pattern development. That means that they could used, and that is the aim of this study, in the evaluation of the relative risk in family members with positive disease history.