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Ankylosing spondylitis

(Science: rheumatology) a polyarthritis involving the spine, which is characterised by progressive, painful stiffening of the joints and ligaments. It almost exclusively affects young men.

Interestingly the disease seems to be associated with HLA B27, those with this histocompatability antigen are 300 times more likely to get the disease, 90% of sufferers have HLA B27