الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of inflammatory conditions of which the main clinical feature is inflammation of spine.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the prototype of the SpA, a group of closely related chronic inflammatory diseases sharing clinical symptoms. There is a strong genetic association with the HLA-B27. The mechanism by which HLA-B27 confers disease susceptibility remains unclear.
The IL-23R has emerged as a potential candidate in many autoimmune diseases including SpA.
IL-23R gene located in short arm (p) of chromosome 1 at position 31.3. IL-23R is mainly expressed by activated memory T cells and, Natural killer cells inducing memory T-cell proliferation. Low levels of IL-23R expression have also been detected on monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells.
Recent results have shown that the IL- 23R gene coding for a subunit of the interlukin-23 receptor, is strongly associated with autoimmunity.
Binding of IL-23 to its own receptor triggers a series of chemical signals inside the cell. These signals promote inflammation and help coordinate the immune system’s response to foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.
The strong genetic association of AS with IL-23R variants has been reported by multiple studies in different ethnic groups. Many IL-23R SNPs were found to be protective against many autoimmune diseases including SpA, IBD and psoriasis.