Causes of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Posted by editor2 on Friday 03 Apr 2009

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Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of progressive arthritis which is characterized by inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of spine. It may lead to stiffness and pain in different parts of the body such as back, jaw, neck, hips, heart, eyes, kidneys and lungs. The disease most frequently begins at the age between 20 and 40, but may also begin before age 10. It usually affects more males than females.

Ankylosing spondylitis is more common in males than in females and can affect any age groups. Men may develop the inflammation of chest wall, pelvis, spine and shoulders, while women may have the inflammation of knees, hips, pelvis and wrists. It is most frequently caused due to some genetic factors especially HLA-B27 and frequent gastrointestinal infections.

Trauma such as cervical spine fracture, epidural hematoma, rotary atlantoaxial subluxation and subarachnoid hemorrhage infections like meningitis, cervical lymphadentitis, epiglottitis, discitis and epidural abscess, torticollis, dystonic reaction and tumors.

Genetic predisposition is one of the important causes of ankylosing arthritis. A person with genetic predisposition, inflammatory bowel disease and immune response mediators is at the higher risk of developing this disease. If either parent carries this gene, there are about 50% chances of passing on this gene to their child. But, the possibility of progressing ankylosing spondylitis in the child is less than 10%.

Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with the secretion of cytokines such as TNF-alpha; secretion of these immune response mediators is because of prolonged immune response to the infection. In ankylosing spondylitis patients there may be raised levels of TNF-alpha in the sacroiliac joints.

Bacterial infections act as triggering factors for the underlying chronic inflammation which can be the development factors of ankylosing spondylitis. The excessive immune response to the gastrointestinal bacterial infections such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can cause the underlying pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis.