HLA-antigen b27 in cases with joint affections in an outbreak of salmonellosis

Area of Science:

• Immunogenetics
• Rheumatology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• An outbreak of Salmonella typhi murium infection occurred in southern Sweden in 1974, affecting approximately 330 individuals.
• A subset of hospitalized patients developed aseptic polyarthritis, a significant complication of the infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential association between Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) types and the development of reactive arthropathy following Salmonella infection.
• To determine if a specific HLA antigen is linked to an increased risk of developing arthritis after salmonellosis.

Main Methods:

• Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing was performed on 13 patients who developed arthritis after Salmonella infection.
• Control groups included 13 salmonellosis patients without arthritis and 446 healthy blood donors.
• Standard microlymphocytotoxicity testing was employed for HLA typing.

Main Results:

• A significantly higher prevalence of HLA-B27 was observed in patients with reactive arthritis (69%) compared to salmonellosis controls (8%) and healthy blood donors (10%).
• The strong association suggests a genetic predisposition to developing arthritis after Salmonella infection in individuals with HLA-B27.

Conclusions:

• The findings indicate a significant association between the HLA-B27 antigen and reactive arthropathy following Salmonella typhi murium infection.
• This association may be attributed to a disease-predisposing gene closely linked to HLA-B27, influencing susceptibility to post-infectious arthritis.