Ankylosing Spondylitis - Axial Spondyloarthritis - Cellular, Molecular and Environmental Factors

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects about 1-3% of the world population. This debilitating disease affecting primarily young males exerts considerable socio-economic consequences. The exact pathogenesis of AS has not yet been fully understood; therefore, novel, detailed information sources are required.
This book offers cutting-edge knowledge about the molecular basic and immunological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis. It is one of the scarce scientific resources discussing the environmental factors triggering the disease, along with the clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, and treatments. This book covers the most recent and reliable researches and developments about spondyloarthropathies in order to provide elaborated, integrated guidance on the molecular mechanisms of Spondyloarthropathies. It will prove helpful for rheumatologists, immunologists, biologists, geneticists, and medical science students who wish to learn more about SpAs.


Dr. Nicknam obtained his medical and Ph.D. degree in Clinical Immunology from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He also has a fellowship in Clinical Immunology in Pittsburgh University, Pennsylvania.  Since 2010, Prof. Nicknam has worked as the head of the Department of Immunology and Biology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He is responsible for a great deal of international affairs of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the co-founder and Head of the Molecular Immunology Research Center.
 Dr. Nicknam is also an expert on spondyloarthropathies (SpA); in particular, genetics and molecular factors that influence the development of SpA. He is a pioneer in understanding the role of immunologically related gene polymorphisms and describing relevant associations of HLA-B27 subtypes with AS. He is a member of several scientific organizations.