Restriction fragment length polymorphism of T cell receptor α and β chain genes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is very strongly associated with the class I major histocompatibility (MHC) antigen HLA-B27. Because class I MHC antigens function as restricting elements recognized by T cell antigen receptors, we sought to determine if there is preferential association between AS and particular T cell (TcR) alleles. In 49 patients with AS and 23 controls, we determined the frequencies of restriction fragment length polymorphisms linked to genes encoding the TcR α and β chain constant regions. There was no significant difference between patients with AS and controls with respect to the frequencies of possible TcR genotypes. Although T cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of AS, these results provide no evidence for a distinctive germline T cell repertoire associated with AS.