Can Adolescents Develop Arthritis? Understanding Ankylosing Spondilitis

[misskitty]

Arthritis isn't something that usually affects younger people; I don't mean people in their thirties, but people in their adolescence. Has anyone ever heard of Ankylosing Spondilitis? If anyone has any information on it, if you could share that would be marvelous. My boyfriend and I googled it, but almost every single site had said the same thing. I didn't really understand the information they did provide. How do they treat it? Where does it come from? How do you live with it? Etc.

 

[hypatia]

They think its related to a inherited gene,Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 (HLA-B27) which interacts with other proteins altering the immune response. This gene combined with environmental, and possibly even bacterial invasions give a person much greater chance of becoming ill.
I also have a friend with this disorder, which started showing when he was 18. He takes ENBREL one of the newer drugs onthe market targeting the effects of tumor necrosis factor. He also swims daily{mornings} to retain flexibility and range of motion.
How he lives with the pain, I just don't know. He hurts all the time. He was 18 when told he had it..and is around 35 now, and walks with a limp from it.