Research progress of immunogenetic pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common immune-mediated inflammatory arthritis of the axial skeleton that predominantly affects young men. The onset of AS is likely to be a result of the combined action of genetic, immunological, and environmental factors. Over the past five years, great progress has been made in the study of immunogenetic pathogenesis of AS. In this article, the roles of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene, the non-MHC gene, gut mucosal immunity, and endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase (ERAP) in the AS pathogenesis were reviewed.