Effects of HLA-B27 positive and negative sera on migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro.

Sera from both HLA-B27 positive patients with previous yersinia arthritis and healthy HLA-B27 positive subjects have been reported to stimulate chemokinetic migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) more than sera from subjects who are HLA-B27 negative. To study this further we tested chemotactic and chemokinetic activities of sera of 213 consecutive blood donors (27 positive for HLA-B27, 12.7%) and those of 55 children (mean age 20 months, range 6-137 months, 8 positive for HLA-B27, 14.5%). Migration distances of PMNs both in membrane filter and under agarose were longer, although not in a statistically significant way, in HLA-B27 positive adult sera than in HLA-B27 negative ones. Chemokinetic activity of sera of HLA-B27 positive children was very similar to that of HLA-B27 negative children. These results give credence to the view that PMN migration enhancing capacity of HLA-B27 positive sera described previously is acquired secondarily and is not genetically determined.