Imputation-based analysis of MICA alleles in the susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) susceptibility is strongly correlated with genetic variation within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and the class I HLA-B*27 allele confers the major genetic risk factor to AS. Furthermore, strong evidence for additional alleles in the MHC has been observed which affect susceptibility independently from the HLA-B*27 allele, either by direct genotyping in candidate gene studies or through large-scale imputation-driven association studies. We have previously identified variants in both class I and II which affect susceptibility to AS through imputation of classical HLA alleles...