PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sinan Sönmez AU - Kazım Şenel AU - Sıtkı Öztaş AU - Akın Erdal AU - Lale Cerrahoğlu TI - Sister chromatid exchange analysis in the lymphocytes of patients with ankylosing spondylitis AID - 10.1136/ard.56.4.275 DP - 1997 Apr 01 TA - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases PG - 275--277 VI - 56 IP - 4 4099 - http://ard.bmj.com/content/56/4/275.short 4100 - http://ard.bmj.com/content/56/4/275.full SO - Ann Rheum Dis1997 Apr 01; 56 AB - OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether any genomic change occurs in DNA level in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by measuring sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency.METHODS SCE frequency was detected on metaphase chromosomes obtained from peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures in 15 patients diagnosed as having AS. SCE values were also obtained from 15 healthy subjects as a control group. SCE frequencies were detected from metaphases obtained from standard blood cultures by using bromodeoxyuridine and staining by Giemsa.RESULTS SCE frequencies of AS were statistically higher than those of the control group (p<0.005).CONCLUSION These results suggest that genetic factors may play a more important part than realised in the aetiology of AS.