ANTIBODIES TO KLEBSIELLA-PNEUMONIAE, ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND PROTEUS-MIRABILIS IN THE SERA OF PATIENTS WITH AXIAL AND PERIPHERAL FORM OF ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS

IgM, IgG and IgA class serum antibodies against the whole Klebsiella p neumoniae, Escherichia coli and Proteus milabilis bacteria, as well as against K. pneumoniae and E. coli lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) were stu died earlier in two separate patient populations of 99 and 85 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and in 102 healthy blood donors by e nzyme immunoassay. In this study the patients were divided into groups according to the presence or absence of peripheral arthritis. The pat ients with peripheral type AS had increased levels of IgM and IgA clas s antibodies against K. pneumoniae, whereas the patients with axial ty pe AS had increased levels of IgG and IgA class antibodies to K. pneum aniae, as well as IgA class antibodies against E. coli and P. mirabili s bacteria. Sulphasalazine treatment decreased the IgM and IgA class a ntibodies in peripheral AS and IgA class antibodies in axial AS agains t K. pneumoniae LPS. The antibody levels were also decreased against E . coli and P. mirabilis bacteria in the sera of patients with axial AS . The immunological findings in patients with peripheral and axial for m of AS were different from each other and thus may reflect different aetiopathogenetic mechanisms for these two types of AS.