Association between reactive arthritis and antecedent infection with Shigella flexneri carrying a 2-Md plasmid and encoding an HLA-B27 mimetic epitope.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether Shigella flexneri strains that cause enteric infection and are associated with reactive arthritis (ReA) carry a 2-Md plasmid, pHS-2, which encodes an HLA-B27 mimetic epitope.

METHODS

Plasmid DNA from Shigella isolates was characterized by DNA-DNA hybridization, restriction endonuclease digestion, and sequencing.

RESULTS

S flexneri strains associated with ReA carried a 2-Md plasmid homologous to pHS-2.

CONCLUSION

The finding of pHS-2 in additional Shigella strains associated with ReA underscores its potential importance in the etiology of the disease.