HLA B27 PCR Test in Kathmandu

About this test

HLA-B27 is an inherited tissue-type marker carried on the surface of your white blood cells, and this PCR-based test looks directly at your DNA to tell us whether you carry the gene that codes for it. We order it mainly when a younger patient — often a man in his twenties or thirties — comes in with months of deep, dull lower-back and buttock pain that is worse in the early morning, eases with movement rather than rest, and is accompanied by morning stiffness lasting more than half an hour. This pattern points towards a group of conditions called the spondyloarthropathies, chief among them ankylosing spondylitis, where HLA-B27 is positive in the large majority of patients. The marker is also relevant in reactive arthritis (sometimes following gut or genitourinary infection), psoriatic arthritis affecting the spine, inflammatory bowel disease with joint involvement, and recurrent acute anterior uveitis, a painful red eye that brings people first to an ophthalmologist. It is important to understand what a result means: carrying HLA-B27 does not mean you have or will definitely develop disease, since a meaningful proportion of healthy people carry it and never fall ill; equally, a negative result does not completely exclude these conditions. For this reason we never read it in isolation. Your doctor interprets it alongside your symptom history, joint examination, inflammatory markers such as ESR and CRP, and imaging of the sacroiliac joints and spine. The PCR method gives a clear positive-or-negative answer and is not affected by recent infection or inflammation, making it a stable, once-in-a-lifetime test that can support an early, confident diagnosis.

Sample type

Whole blood (EDTA)

Preparation

No fasting required. Eat and drink normally before the sample is taken. This is a genetic marker, so the result does not change with time of day, recent meals, or current medication.

Turnaround time

Reports for HLA B27 PCR are typically ready within: Next Day. Reports can be collected at the clinic during opening hours or shared via WhatsApp once they are ready.

Also known as

Other immunology tests we run

These are routinely ordered alongside HLA B27 PCR or as part of the same diagnostic workup.

How to book

WhatsApp is the fastest way — message us with the test name and your preferred time, and we'll confirm a slot the same day. You can also walk into the clinic at Rumba Chowk, Sanobharang any day between 7AM and 8PM, or fill in our online booking form.