Hitherto assembled results with the assessment of HLA antigens in rheumatic diseases and their impact.

The authors characterize the position which developed in the sphere of rheumatic diseases, in particular inflammatory ones, after in these diseases the association with HLA antigens was revealed; most important is still the association of HLA B 27 with ankylosing spondylitis (Bekhterev's disease) which stimulated a new line of research and helped to detect the projection of antigen into all so-called rheumatic diseases which have in addition to affected peripheral joints inflammatory change of the SI synchrondrosis and segmentary signs of ankylosing spondylitis. The authors examined patients with psoriatic arthropathy and pure dermatological psoriasis but found only association with B 17 and B 13. In ankylosing hyperotosis (Forestier) they prove, based on the findings in 36 patients that in controversial cases the absence of B 27 may be important. They report also on their finding of an enhanced association of A 10 and B 14 in a group of 48 patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.