Seronegative spondyloarthritides

Recently, there has been enormous growth in the clinical importance of the spondyloarthropathies, in part because of their close association with HLA, and in part because of the recognition that a substantial number of patients suffer from different forms of these disorders. Over the years, immunogeneticists, geneticists, epidemiologists, bacteriologists, membrane biologists, and clinicians have joined in the attempt to clarify our understanding of ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's disease, psoriatic arthropathy, and other interrelated conditions. This article provides a summary of clinical and research developments in what is now recognized as a major area in rheumatology.