Causes

Causes of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

Dr. Samuel Whittle
Rheumatologist, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide

We don’t know exactly what triggers this in every individual but there is a fairly strong genetic inheritance for ankylosing spondylitis. There is a particular gene that is much more common in people with ankylosing spondylitis. But having said that, it can occur in people with no family history of the disease whatsoever.

Assoc. Professor Peter Youssef
Rheumatologist, Royal Prince Alfred Institute of Rheumatology and Orthopaedics, Sydney
Chair – Arthritis Australia Scientific Advisory Committee

The major factor in ankylosing spondylitis is a genetic factor and particularly the HLAB-27 gene. This gene occurs in about 7% of the population and about 1 in 100 people with this gene may get some form of inflammation.

Dr. Mona Marabani
Rheumatologist
President, Australian Rheumatology Association

In ankylosing spondylitis, 96% of people have a marker in the blood called HLAB-27, and this puts them at risk of this and other diseases and we think also there may be an interaction with other things in the environment such as microorganisms.