Clinical Features and Prognosis of HLA B27-associated Acute Anterior Uveitis in an Italian Patient Population

PURPOSE: To report clinical features and prognosis of HLA B27 acute anterior uveitis. METHODS: 165 patients with recurrent acute anterior uveitis were divided into two groups: HLA B27-positive (group 1, 60 patients) and HLA B27-negative (group 2, 105 patients). A comparison between the two groups was performed. RESULTS: Unilateral involvement was higher in group 1 (p = .046), and more simultaneous bilateral cases occurred in group 2 (p = .004). Group 1 was more correlated to systemic diseases than group 2 (50 versus 17.1%, p < .001), particularly to ankylosing spondylitis (35 versus 3.8%, p < .001). Uveitis was diagnosed before spondylitis in 57% of patients. In groups 1 and 2 an immunosuppressive therapy was administered to 20 and 9.5% of patients but was exclusively given to control uveitis in 1.6 and in 2.8% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A strong association between HLA B27 uveitis and ankylosing spondylitis was confirmed and usually uveitis preceded rheumatological involvement.