Steve Haskew, who has lived with AS for more than three decades, said these genetic discoveries offer hope to patients, especially those newly diagnosed.

"When I first started experiencing lower back pain and the aching joints, no one could tell me what was wrong," said Haskew, co-leader of an AS support group. "It's fascinating to see how far we've come and how much has been learned about the disease."

Laurie Savage, co-principal investigator and executive director of the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) said, "These new breakthroughs are, indeed, good news for those whom we serve. It is very encouraging to know that the health impact and economic consequences of spondyloarthritis in the world eventually will be contained as a direct consequence of the dedication of Drs. Reveille, Brown and colleagues, and that of the many individuals affected by spondyloarthritis who have participated in these studies."

The study, titled "Genomewide association study of ankylosing spondylitis identifies multiple non-MHC susceptibility loci," was supported in part by two grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston