Dutch Patients with Familial and Sporadic Ankylosing Spondylitis Do Not Differ in Disease Phenotype

MARCEL van der PAARDT, BEN DIJKMANS, ERIK GILTAY, IRENE van der HORST-BRUINSMA

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To assess potential differences in the phenotypic expression between familial and sporadic ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods. Clinical data from the patient record forms were compared between 55 patients with AS from multicase families (i.e., families in which ³ 2 first-degree relatives have the disease) (familial AS) and 110 sex and age matched patients with AS who did not have a first=degree relative with the disease (sporadic AS).

Results. Between familial and sporadic AS no differences were found in age at disease onset, age at diagnosis, or prevalences of peripheral arthritis and acute anterior uveitis.

Conclusion. Potential differences in genetic makeup are not reflected in differences in the phenotypic expression of familial and sporadic AS. (J Rheumatol 2002;29:2583-4)

Key Indexing Terms:

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
DISEASE PHENOTYPE
MULTICASE FAMILIES

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From the Jan van Breemen Institute, Amsterdam, and the Department of Rheumatology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

M. van der Paardt, MD; B.A.C. Dijkmans, MD, PhD; E.J. Giltay, MD, PhD; I.E. van der Horst-Bruinsma, MD, PhD, Jan van Breemen Institute and Department of Rheumatology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre.

Address reprint requests to Dr. I.E. van der Horst-Bruinsma, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: secr.reumatologie@azvu.nl

Submitted January 4, 2002; revision accepted June 6, 2002.

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