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Secretor status and ankylosing spondylitis
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, UK.
The Journal of Rheumatology
|March 7, 1998
Summary
Secretor status, a genetic trait, does not appear to influence the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study found no significant difference in nonsecretor frequencies between AS patients and healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the spine.
- The genetic factors contributing to AS susceptibility are not fully understood.
- Secretor status, determined by the ABO blood group system, influences the expression of certain antigens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential genetic association between secretor status and the development of ankylosing spondylitis.
- To determine if secretor or nonsecretor phenotypes confer differential susceptibility to AS.
Main Methods:
- A novel restriction digest method was developed and validated for secretor status determination.
- Secretor status was assessed in 166 patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.
- Secretor status was also determined in 216 healthy British white control subjects for comparison.
Main Results:
- The frequency of nonsecretors among patients with AS was 28% (47 out of 166).
- The frequency of nonsecretors in the healthy control group was 33% (72 out of 216).
- Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in nonsecretor prevalence between the AS patient cohort and the control group.
Conclusions:
- Secretor status does not appear to be a significant genetic risk factor for ankylosing spondylitis.
- The findings suggest that variations in secretor status do not influence an individual's susceptibility to developing AS.