City University Professor Calls For Greater Awareness Of Hereditary Auto-immune Condition, HLA-B27 Positivity

Main Category: Immune System / Vaccines
Also Included In: Eye Health / Blindness;  Nursing / Midwifery;  Public Health
Article Date: 25 Sep 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Carol Cox, Professor of nursing at City University London, urged nurses to be more aware of hereditary genetic auto-immune condition HLA-B27 positivity at the RCN Ophthalmic Nurses Forum Conference on 20 September:

"Awareness of this condition is currently very low amongst ophthalmic nurses. When a patient presents with an eye condition such as uveitis, which could be due to HLA-B27 positivity, low awareness can mean that they are not screened for associated diseases and many are not warned that the condition could affect other family members."

HLA-B27 positivity causes the immune system to attack the body and is five times more prevalent in males than females. It increases the likelihood of patients developing associated diseases, often of the eye and gastro-intestinal system, such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, uveitis, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spoindylitis, Reiter's syndrome, psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy.

If ophthalmic nurses are made aware of the condition it can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and treatment can begin. Whilst it cannot be cured, it can be managed and its associated complications can be treated.

Carol says: "Nurses need to know to link uveitis with HLA-B27 positivity with gastro-intestinal illnesses and to check for both. Ophthalmic nurses engaged in assessment and diagnosis should question uveitis patients about symptoms reflecting other autoimmune diseases."

She recommends asking six questions regarding other aspects of their health:

- Do you have problems with your joints?
- Do you have problems with your skin?
- Do you suffer with mouth ulcers?
- Do you have inflammatory bowel or Crohn's disease?
- Do you have genital ulcerations or urethritis?
- Do you have asthma/sarcoidosis?

According to Carol: "Anticipatory guidance is essential, and treating any underlying disorders may help to prevent uveitis in some people with existing systematic diseases."

Carol is currently working on a research project on HLA-B27 positivity awareness with Moorfields Eye Hospital and results are expected later in the coming year.

1. City University London's Adult Nursing Department is part of the School of Community & Health Sciences. It provides training and continuing professional development in a wide range of specialist areas. Adult Nursing students study the care of adult patients with a range of healthcare needs, learning how to care for all their patients in a number of hospital and community care settings.

Course modules include topics such as development of clinical and communication skills, health and society, applied biological sciences in adult nursing, acute care and growing old in a caring community. Consequently, students have a wide range of placements on surgical wards, medical wards and in community settings such as nursing homes and GP practices.

As qualified adult nurses, students have a wide choice of areas in which to work, such as: the community, accident and emergency, care homes for the elderly, operating theatres and hospital wards.

2. City University London is a principal provider of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and vocational education in the United Kingdom. The University is committed to leading London in education, research and knowledge transfer for businesses and the professions and is renowned for its international focus and the employability of its graduates.

The University teaches across a range of subjects in arts including journalism and music, informatics, social sciences, engineering and mathematical sciences, business, law, health and community sciences.

The University attracts over 23,000 students from 156 countries, while teaching staff are drawn from nearly 50 international locations, ensuring that the University has a truly international outlook.

City University London was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and was awarded full university status in 1966.

City University London