rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2006;90:1448-1450 doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.099788
  • World view

HLA-B27-associated acute anterior uveitis in the University Referral Centre in North Thailand: clinical presentation and visual prognosis

  1. K Pathanapitoon1,
  2. S Suksomboon1,
  3. P Kunavisarut1,
  4. S Ausayakhun1,
  5. S Wattananikorn1,
  6. N Leetrakool2,
  7. A Rothova3
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  2. 2Blood Bank Section, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  3. 3Uveitis Centre, FC Donders Institute of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to: K Pathanapitoon Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, 110 Intawaroros Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; kpathana{at}mail.med.cmu.ac.th
  • Accepted 4 August 2006
  • Published Online First 9 August 2006

Abstract

Background: Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most frequent type of uveitis encountered in the west. Although human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated ankylosing spondylitis was reported in South East Asia, it is not known whether HLA-B27-associated ocular disease is prevalent in Thailand.

Methods: A prospective study of 100 unrelated blood donors and 121 consecutive patients with AAU was carried out. All people underwent HLA-B27 typing and full ocular examination. Radiological examination of the sacroiliac joints was conducted in patients with low back pain or arthralgias.

Results: The prevalence of HLA-B27 was 10% among the blood donors in contrast with 44% in the AAU group (p<0.001). The clinical characteristics of HLA-B27-associated AAU were similar to those published throughout the world (unilaterality in 74%, hypopyon in 31%, recurrent AAU in 64%). However, the increased intraocular pressure (IOP) was more common in the HLA-B-27-negative group (p = 0.03) than in their HLA-B27-positive counterparts. At least 15% of the HLA B27-positive group had radiological signs of ankylosing spondylitis.

Conclusion: The prevalence of HLA-B27 in the population without uveitis in Thailand is about 10% and clinical characteristics of HLA-B27-positive AAU are similar to those reported in the west. In contrast with earlier reports, HLA-B27-negative AAU in Thailand was associated with increased IOP and should be further studied.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 9 August 2006

  • Funding: This work was supported in part by the combined grants from Dr P Binkorst foundation for ophthalmologic research, Nijmegen; Landelijke stichting voor Blinden en Slechtzienden, Utrecht; Rotterdamse Vereniging blindenbelangen, Rotterdam; Stichting voor Ooglijders, Rotterdam; and Katholieke Stichting voor Blinden en Slechtzienden, Grave and Stichting Oog, ‘s Gravenzande, the Netherlands.

  • Competing interests: None declared.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All Versions of this Article:
    1. bjo.2006.099788v1
    2. 90/12/1448 most recent

Services

  1. Email this link to a friend
  2. Alert me when this article is cited
  3. Alert me if a correction is posted
  4. Alert me when eletters are published
  5. Article Usage Statistics
  6. Similar articles in this journal
  7. Similar articles in Web of Science
  8. Similar articles in PubMed
  9. Add article to my folders
  10. Download to citation manager
  11. Request permissions

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Social bookmarking

Register for free content


Free sample
 This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of BJO.
View free sample issue >>

Free archive
The full back archive is now available for BJO. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006, back to volume 1 issue 1.
Register to access the free archive >>

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.