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Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a multifactorial rheumatic disease which mainly involves the axial skeleton. Macrophages and extracellular nucleotides have been shown to contribute to the inflammation process in autoimmune diseases. Membrane‐bound purinergic P2 receptors might be involved in the modulation of immune cells in AS. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of P2 receptors in the macrophages of AS patients and healthy controls.

Twenty‐three AS patients and 23 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy individuals were included in our study. Whole blood‐separated monocytes of study participants were stimulated by macrophage colony‐stimulating factor for 7 days and differentiated to macrophages. Monocyte and macrophage markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. SYBR green real‐time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the …