hla-b27 association with uveitis in an asian indian population

background: uveitis refers to diseases characterized by intraocular inflammation of the uveal tract. anterior uveitis is a common ocular disease characterized by inflammation of the iris and the ciliary body. objectives: to establish the frequency of hla-b27- positive uveitis in asian indian population, study their clinical profile and compare it with other reports in literature. methods: we retrospectively reviewed medical data of 89 patients of uveitis referred for hla b27 typing with predominantly ocular symptoms during the period from april 2006-october 2010. all patients were tested for complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, infectious diseases serology, hla-b27 typing, and prepared radiographs of the sacroiliac joints and lumbar spine if required. results: the hla-b27 positive rate was 56.2% among patients and 3% for control samples. most of the patients were in the age group of 41-50 years with a male predominance. conclusions: hla-b27 was seen to be associated with acute anterior uveitis in asian indian males and the test is important for confirmation of diagnosis, prognostication and also for planning the treatment.