Chromosomal Distribution of Ankylosing Spondylitis Susceptibility Loci

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have been indicated that susceptible loci of several multifactorial diseases were non-randomly distributed on human genome. There is no published data on chromosomal distribution of genes associated with risk of ankylosing spondylitis. Therefore, the present study was carried out. METHODS: Published meta-analyses indexed in the PubMed database were used in the present study. Non-randomness chromosomal distribution of these loci was evaluated by the statistical method of Tai et al. RESULTS: A total of 88 articles were obtained. There was 32 ankylosing spondylitis associated genes. The present study revealed that the human chromosome segments 6p11.2-p21.33, 19q13.2-q13.42, and 2q11.2-q14.1 were ankylosing spondylitis associated-rich regions by bearing 7, 6 and 4 susceptible loci, respectively. CONCLUSION: Ankylosing spondylitis associated-genes non-randomly have been distributed non-randomly on human chromosomes.