[Immunologic aspects of ankylosing spondylarthritis]

The immunological profile of 63 men, 53 of whom were carriers of the HLA B27 antigen, and 10 of whom were not, all of whom suffered from ankylosing spondylarthritis (ASP) which was either quiescent or subject to exacerbations, were studied: lymphocytic colonies, quantity determination of serum proteins, investigations of auto-immune antibodies. Following a discussion of the techniques, the results are presented and compared with those obtained in healthy subjects. No significant difference was revealed between the averages obtained for the results on the patients and the controls, nor as regards the B and T lymphocytes, the IgG, IgA, IgM immunoglobulins, the C3 fraction of the complement, or orosomucoid. The haptoglobin and alpha-antitrypsin rates increased significantly in the patients. Tests for the auto-immune antibodies were always negative. The results are compared to other, often contradictory, studies which have already been published. These authors conclude that the ASP in question does not seem to be an immunological disease.