with Andreas Klein
Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) is an inflammatory arthritis of the spine and other joints . It affects up to 2 per cent of Australians , is three times more common in men than women and usually appears between 15 and 45 years .
AS starts with pain and stiffness in the sacroiliac ( SI ) joint ( between the spine and pelvis ) but can affect other areas of the spine , the hips , shoulders , eyes , skin , bowel , chest and even lungs . Eventually the whole axial skeleton of a person with long term AS can become fused .
Ninety percent of people with AS have a gene called HLA-B27 . This is a perfectly normal gene found in eight per cent of the general population , and less than 2 per cent of people born with this gene ever
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get spondylitis . So , the gene itself does not cause spondylitis , but people with it are simply more susceptible to getting spondylitis . Patients may suffer : 1 . lower back pain 2 . red / sore eyes 3 . neck , chest hips , buttocks , knee pain 4 . a hunched posture 5 . slight fevers 6 . fatigue 7 . night sweats 8 . Crohn ’ s disease-like symptoms - intestinal ulcers with cramping and diarrhea or constipation
Nobody really knows why people get AS . The overwhelming evidence suggests that people inherit susceptibility genes from their parents , but then get AS via
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an infection , which alters bowel function leading to immune dysregulation and autoimmunity .
The medical literature lists at least fourteen different micro-organisms which can function as possible triggers and though still controversial , it is thought by many , that infection with these organisms can lead to gastro-intestinal changes , triggering commencement of AS symptoms .
Currently , there is no known cure for AS but various medications such as analgesics , anti-inflammatories ,
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