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Ankylosing spondylitis and secretor status: a re-evaluation
G W Smith1, V James, D A Mackenzie
1Rheumatic Diseases Unit, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital.
British Journal of Rheumatology
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Secretor status, which indicates the presence of certain blood group substances, is not linked to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Previous findings suggesting a link were likely due to issues with saliva sample collection and analysis.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Non-secretion of ABO blood group substances is linked to bacterial infection susceptibility.
- Previous studies indicated a higher prevalence of non-secretors among ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the association between secretor status and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
- To investigate potential discrepancies in previous secretor status assessments.
Main Methods:
- Re-assessed secretor status in 92 AS patients and 103 controls using haemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- Compared current findings with historical data from the same patient cohort.
Main Results:
- Identical proportions (28%) of non-secretors were found in both AS patients and controls in the current study.
- A significant number of patients initially classified as non-secretors were reclassified as secretors upon re-testing, indicating misclassification.
- Saliva specimen handling issues were identified as the cause of inaccurate secretor status determination.
Conclusions:
- There is no statistically significant association between secretor status and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
- Accurate assessment of secretor status requires meticulous attention to saliva collection, handling, and preservation methods.