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Fact Check: Is HLA-B27 positive dangerous?

May 25, 2025•by TruthOrFake
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VERDICT
Partially True

# Is HLA-B27 Positive Dangerous? ## Introduction The claim that being HLA-B27 positive is "dangerous" raises questions about the implications of this...

Is HLA-B27 Positive Dangerous?

Introduction

The claim that being HLA-B27 positive is "dangerous" raises questions about the implications of this genetic marker. HLA-B27 is a human leukocyte antigen associated with an increased risk of certain autoimmune diseases, particularly ankylosing spondylitis. However, the extent of danger or risk associated with being HLA-B27 positive is nuanced and requires careful examination of the evidence.

What We Know

  1. HLA-B27 and Autoimmune Diseases: HLA-B27 is a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule. Its presence is strongly correlated with a higher risk of developing autoimmune conditions, particularly ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and reactive arthritis. Research indicates that individuals who are HLA-B27 positive have a significantly increased risk of these diseases, with estimates suggesting a 50 to 100 times higher risk for AS among those who test positive compared to the general population 14.

  2. Prevalence: The prevalence of HLA-B27 varies by ethnicity, with approximately 6-9% of Caucasians and about 3% of African Americans testing positive 4. Despite the strong association with AS, only about 2% of individuals who are HLA-B27 positive will actually develop the condition 46.

  3. Clinical Implications: A positive HLA-B27 test can indicate a greater-than-average risk for certain autoimmune disorders, but it does not confirm a diagnosis. Many individuals with a positive result may never experience symptoms or develop associated diseases 79.

  4. Risks of Testing: The risks associated with the HLA-B27 test itself are minimal, primarily related to standard blood draw procedures 3.

  5. Potential for Misinterpretation: There is a risk that a positive HLA-B27 result could lead to unnecessary anxiety or medical interventions, especially if the implications of the test are not fully understood by patients 8.

Analysis

The sources consulted provide a mix of clinical information and patient-oriented guidance.

  • Reliability of Sources:

    • The NCBI Bookshelf 1 is a reputable source that compiles peer-reviewed medical literature, making it a reliable reference for understanding the medical implications of HLA-B27.
    • The University of Rochester Medical Center 2 is a well-respected academic institution, which adds credibility to its health encyclopedia.
    • Healthline 3 is a popular health information website, but while it provides accessible information, it may lack the depth and rigor of peer-reviewed sources.
    • RheumDoctor 4 and Connected Rheumatology 7 focus specifically on rheumatological conditions, providing targeted insights into HLA-B27's implications. However, their potential bias towards patient advocacy should be considered.
    • The Journal of Rheumatology 5 is a peer-reviewed journal, which generally indicates a high level of reliability, though it is essential to consider the specific study's methodology and context.

  • Conflicts of Interest: Some sources, especially those focused on patient education, may have a vested interest in emphasizing the risks associated with HLA-B27 positivity to promote awareness or treatment options. This could lead to a biased interpretation of the data.

  • Methodology and Evidence: The studies referenced in these sources often rely on population-based data, which can provide a broad understanding of the risks associated with HLA-B27. However, individual risk can vary significantly based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. More granular studies examining these variables would be beneficial for a comprehensive understanding.

Conclusion

Verdict: Partially True

The assertion that being HLA-B27 positive is "dangerous" is partially true. Evidence indicates that individuals who test positive for HLA-B27 have a significantly increased risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases, particularly ankylosing spondylitis. However, it is crucial to note that while the risk is elevated, the majority of HLA-B27 positive individuals will not develop these conditions. The prevalence of associated diseases is relatively low, and many individuals may remain asymptomatic throughout their lives.

This verdict acknowledges the complexity of the relationship between HLA-B27 positivity and health outcomes. While there is a clear association with increased risk for specific autoimmune disorders, the term "dangerous" may overstate the implications for many individuals. The evidence also highlights the potential for misinterpretation of test results, which could lead to unnecessary anxiety or medical interventions.

It is important to recognize the limitations in the available evidence. Individual risk factors, including genetics and lifestyle, can significantly influence health outcomes, and more research is needed to fully understand these dynamics. Readers are encouraged to critically evaluate information regarding HLA-B27 and consult healthcare professionals for personalized advice.

Sources

  1. HLA-B27 Syndromes - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. Link
  2. Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center. Link
  3. Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 (HLA-B27) - Healthline. Link
  4. I have a positive HLA-B27 what does it mean? - RheumDoctor. Link
  5. Does a Positive HLA-B27 Test Increase Your Risk of Mortality? - Journal of Rheumatology. Link
  6. HLA-B27 antigen Information | Mount Sinai - New York. Link
  7. Positive HLA-B27 and arthritis - Connected Rheumatology. Link
  8. Exploring the HLA-B27 Gene: Implications and Insights. Link
  9. HLA-B27 Antigen. Link
  10. Exploring HLA-B27: Implications for Health and Disease. Link

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They claimed they had never received my request form or payment. I had to dig through my records and forward them the original email, including the form and the receipt they themselves had sent me. A week later, there is still no update. It's as if they don't want me to leave because they want more money. A fellow student who tried to transfer also went through the same nightmare. Don't be fooled by fake reviews from UoPeople's sales reps and so-called "ambassadors". If you still have a chance, avoid this hassle altogether. Apply to a local community college—a real school—and seek out genuine scholarships or financial aid. University of the People is simply not worth it. No matter how much or how little you pay, it's a waste of time and money.» Complaints about extortion schemes and payments «I live in the third world. Not only did UoPeople refuse to grant me a scholarship, but when I ran out of money and couldn't afford the last fee, they completely blocked my access to the website. 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Instead of addressing its own alarming issues, UoPeople is focused on censoring criticism. The university even paid Forbes to remove a critical article, replacing it with a redirect to forbes.com. UoPeople is not interested in transparency—only in clickbait sponsored articles that serve its marketing agenda. Fortunately, the article has been republished here: edtechchronicle.com/universityofthepeople/ Fake news from UoPeople.edu UoPeople computer centers in Haiti After the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, University of the People claimed to have built several computer centers for the earthquake victims. However, there are no UoPeople computer centers in Haiti. University of the People should be ashamed of spreading fake news like this, because many Haitians died during that terrible earthquake, and this Israeli diploma mill has no respect for them. UoPeople's PR office in Israel even paid nytimes.com to publish a fake story, with a fake (stolen) picture, about the alleged "UoPeople computer centers" in Haiti. Not only has UoPeople never built anything, but unfortunately, some charity organizations and individual citizens generously donated money, only to be scammed. UoPeople also uploaded the same stolen pictures to Wikipedia, where they were eventually deleted. Fake news and reviews on websites, media outlets, Internet forums, YouTube etc. The Israeli UoPeople.edu PR office uses international PR services such as einpresswire.com, prnewswire.com, cision.com, prweb.com, and many more. UoPeople submits any kind of story, including fake news and clickbait articles, and these platforms distribute thousands of copies all over the web. The more you pay, the more important the target websites become, which can include cnn.com, nytimes.com, forbes.com, and so on. 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Moreover, University of the People's sales reps or ambassadors, who often disguise themselves as students, write hundreds of fake reviews on the internet (Quora, Wikipedia, Medium, Reddit, Facebook, YouTube, TrustPilot, LinkedIn, forums of various kinds, etc.), claiming that UoPeople is "wonderful", "a dream come true", "free", "the best university in the world" and other nonsense. Some spammers even claim to have met "the best professors in the world". Too bad UoPeople.edu notoriously has no professors: it is no coincidence that all these people conveniently omit the names of their alleged professors. They will also encourage you to "contact me and ask me anything else", which is nothing more than pure spam. University of the People also forces people from Africa and Asia, who are not students and have never attended UoPeople, to write fake reviews, especially on Facebook and Trustpilot. These reviews include phrases like "thank you free university", "great free American university", "I like the scholarships", and "I'm honored to use UoPeople.edu", usually accompanied by five-star ratings or a thumbs-up. These reviewers have no idea what they are talking about: they still have to pay the admission fee and have only watched a few UoPeople.edu commercials without ever logging into the website. UoPeople primarily uses these fake reviews to artificially inflate its average rating on Facebook. Sarah Vanunu was the former PR manager of UoPeople.edu. She worked (and still works) in her hometown in Israel. Her main job was to spread fake news about UoPeople across the internet while ensuring that nobody mentioned "Israel". The reason is simple: UoPeople is based in Israel but does not want people to know, particularly its Arab customers who are unaware that they are sending money to an Israeli organization. To put it plainly, whenever someone mentioned Israel—such as pointing out that UoPeople's owner, Shai Reshef, is from Israel—Sarah Vanunu would send an email demanding that the word "Israel" be removed or censored. When we refused to comply, we received a threatening letter from a "UoPeople.edu attorney", who claimed that UoPeople would take legal action against us. If we remember correctly, his name was Asaf Wolff, although we have no idea who he really is. In any case, we ignored his threats and deleted his letters. A few years later, we discovered that Sarah Vanunu had grown tired of representing a scam. She left the University of the People and now works for a more legitimate company. At the time of writing, Lindsay Pullen from Pennsylvania and Maor Galmor from Israel have taken over as the primary PR manipulators, but it is understood that these roles can change frequently. Update (2023): as predicted, they have now abandoned the UoPeople scam. As of now, it remains unclear who the current PR spammers are. Fake apps UoPeople claims to have developed a mobile app for iOS and Android to help poor people who can only access the internet through slow connections. However, neither Google Play nor the Apple App Store has ever had this app; only a few unrelated fake apps exist instead. In reality, UoPeople's subscription-based website—which requires a non-refundable $60 entry fee just to access the actual platform (beyond the promotional content)—performs poorly on all low-end mobile devices, making navigation difficult. The reason is simple: UoPeople runs on a basic Moodle installation on shared hosting—they don't even have their own servers—meaning the site is not optimized for mobile devices and often runs slowly on desktop computers as well. Ironically, UoPeople offers degrees in computer science, but their own website is clunky, outdated, and they have failed to develop a functional mobile app. A beautiful graduation ceremony Actually, at UoPeople, there is no such thing as a real graduation ceremony. Being a diploma mill, you simply receive your piece of paper by mail after paying all the required fees. That's it. However, UoPeople uploaded an amateur video showing a very long list of names of people who received their diplomas by mail. Apparently, this is what UoPeople considers a "beautiful graduation ceremony". Wikipedia UoPeople.edu has been bombarding Wikipedia with ads, fake stories, and fake pictures for a long time. As a result, most Wikipedia editors now consider UoPeople accounts to be a real nuisance. For example, paid users like Weatherextremes and SimoneBilesStan (now banned) have used Wikipedia solely to spread fake news and sponsored articles about University of the People. The latter spammer even incorporated the names "Simone" and "Biles" into their username, without Simone Biles' permission, to falsely claim that she is a "UoPeople student and ambassador", which is completely untrue. Read our article to learn more about this scam. Reddit Besides being filled with all sorts of weirdos and idiots, UoPeople's subreddit is populated by sales reps who never disclose their identity and falsely claim to be "happy students". Since Reddit is free to use, these reps and spammers can flood the subreddit with fake reviews and fake news, essentially creating unlimited deceptive advertising. Additionally, the moderators, usually disguised as "happy students", ensure that no alternative views can be expressed. Everyone must repeat UoPeople's scripted Q&A, or else they get banned; you can't even write the address of this website, because "it's forbidden". There is no way out: you must buy a degree from the University of the People, and then you must say it is "the most beautiful university in the world". Not only does this cult-like closed-mindedness shows just how brainwashed, or brainless, these people are, but it also exposes the organization's lack of credibility. Last but not least, there is also an official bot named "UoPeople09" that seems mentally challenged and just copy-pastes the same messages over and over: typical spam from UoPeople. Fake scholarships Scholarships and grants are another long-standing part of UoPeople's aggressive and deceptive marketing campaigns. The ads claim that there are "lots of scholarships for everyone", but in reality, students must pay a $60 non-refundable fee just to inquire about these so-called scholarships. What UoPeople.edu never discloses is that there are no scholarships for Master's or Bachelor's degrees. In fact, only about 1% of students receive any kind of discount on their total tuition—meaning, at best, they only pay for two years instead of four. In other words, this is nothing more than a discount designed to attract new customers, all of whom must pay $60 upfront—a quick and easy way to generate revenue. Additionally, the ads promoting these so-called scholarships contradict UoPeople's claim of being tuition-free. After all, if courses were actually free, there would be no need to lure students in with clickbait articles about scholarships. This is how the "scholarship" scam works, step by step: young people, especially from developing countries, search for scholarships online; they come across sponsored clickbait articles claiming that "a great tuition-free university is giving lots of scholarships"; they click the article and are tricked into paying the non-refundable $60 "administrative fee". On the whole, UoPeople's scholarships are just a marketing stunt. The actual cost of a degree issued by UoPeople is 0 dollars, because this Israeli online university doesn't have any expenses to cover. Therefore, the thousands of dollars they ask for are thousands of dollars taken unjustly, used only to fund the state of Israel. UoPeople boasts about offering scholarships, which are essentially discount vouchers awarded based on a marketing strategy, and serve to further increase revenue through a word-of-mouth mechanism inspired by multi-level marketing techniques. Fake partnerships The so-called partnerships are a ripoff: some are completely invented, while others are simply useless. We cannot comment on the invented partnerships because they do not exist. However, we can examine the oldest one—the alleged partnership with the University of Edinburgh. Here's what UoPeople.edu claims: We are honored to announce our collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, which aims to support students uprooted by war, famine, and natural disasters. Health Science graduates from UoPeople will be eligible to apply to the University of Edinburgh to complete a bachelor's degree in Health, Science, and Society. First of all, any statement that begins with "we are honored to announce" suggests it is a recent development. Too bad this exact claim dates back to 2017, but uopeople.edu continuously removes or alters the date to make it seem new. That being said, the alleged partnership allows hypothetical UoPeople graduates to apply for undergraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh. However, it should be noted that there is no guarantee that the University of Edinburgh will accept these students: they can only apply. But anyone can apply anyway! There is no requirement to be a UoPeople student in order to apply to Edinburgh. So why on earth should anyone waste thousands of dollars on a useless UoPeople diploma when they can enroll in a real university directly without paying UoPeople anything? Bottom line: This "partnership" is nothing more than a marketing trick: just another way for the University of the People to squeeze money out of students and waste their time. Have you ever wondered how many students have actually taken advantage of this so-called partnership? Ranald Leask, International PR & Media Manager at the University of Edinburgh, provided the official answer: "Although we have yet to welcome any students through our partnership, this track remains open and we look forward to collaborating with University of the People in the future." In other words, zero UoPeople students have ever been accepted at the University of Edinburgh through this partnership. Other alleged "partners" (Berkeley, NYU, etc.) seem to operate under a similar model: if admitted, a UoPeople student may have the opportunity to become an undergraduate student. However, anyone can already apply to any real university (including Berkeley and NYU) and become an undergraduate student, without ever going through uopeople.edu. So why waste time and money on a UoPeople degree when it does nothing to improve your chances of getting into a real university? You can enroll directly in a real university without going through UoPeople. Fake partnership with Harvard University The latest claim is that "UoPeople has a new partnership with Harvard University", which is another blatant attempt by uopeople.edu to mislead people by using Harvard's name and logo, even though this Israeli diploma mill has nothing to do with Harvard. To "prove" this partnership, uopeople.edu links to hbs.edu. However, nowhere on that website does it state that Harvard University has formed a partnership with the University of the People. In reality, hbs.edu simply contains a list of institutions that requested to have their logo added. Any school can be listed by simply clicking Contact us: this is not a partnership of any kind with Harvard University. Besides, people who take Harvard Business School Online courses are not considered Harvard students! UoPeople requested to have its logo added and now falsely claims to be a "partner"; actually, Harvard University likely doesn't even know what UoPeople is. And as usual, there is no need to be a UoPeople student to take Harvard Business School Online courses—which, to be clear, are not part of Harvard University. Fake partnerships with Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Columbia University, New York University, Oxford University (UK) etc. We suggest you conduct a simple experiment. Call Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Columbia University, New York University, and Oxford University—fortunately, they all have real phone numbers, unlike UoPeople.edu—and ask if they "have a partnership", if they "work with", or if they "are affiliated with" the University of the People, as UoPeople's reps and ambassadors claim. The answer will be no: these universities have nothing to do with UoPeople, and in most cases, they have never even heard of it. Despite this, UoPeople continues to flood the Internet with outdated sponsored articles and press releases falsely claiming that it "works with" Harvard, Berkeley, NYU, and others. What's even more ridiculous is that UoPeople only name-drops Ivy League institutions, MIT, or Oxford (UK), as if every other university in the world is worthless. A laughably naive PR strategy. Fake partnerships with the United Nations and its agencies This is another fake story that used to appear on UoPeople's sponsored articles, and still appears on their website. The reality is the United Nations and its agencies do not have any partnerships with University of the People, nor is University of the People affiliated with them. As the United Nations' official website states, BEWARE OF SCAMS IMPLYING ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS The United Nations has been made aware of various correspondences, being circulated via e-mail, from Internet web sites, text messages and via regular mail or facsimile, falsely stating that they are issued by, or in association with the United Nations and/or its officials. These scams, which may seek to obtain money and/or in many cases personal details from the recipients of such correspondence, are fraudulent. […] [In particular:] The United Nations does not offer prizes, awards, funds, certificates, compensation, scholarships […] Nevertheless, University of the People continues to claim that it has partnerships and affiliations with the United Nations (UN) and that it offers UN scholarships. It even uses UN logos without authorization, all in an effort to mislead people. Fastest way to buy a degree from UoPeople The fastest way to buy a degree from the University of the People is by using the ridiculous website sophia.org, where you can instantly pass "exams" and then "transfer credits" to UoPeople. Some students have managed to obtain their degree in just six months using this method. How our dog graduated from the University of the people using ChatGPT Thanks to this wonderful university, our beloved puppy, a Jack Russell terrier, graduated in Business Administration. Sounds insane? Not at all: it was shockingly easy, as long as we kept paying. First, we bought a diploma from a Nigerian high school, claiming that Jack (first name) Russell (last name) had completed his studies in Africa. It's important to note that this was not a fake diploma, but a genuine document printed by a real African school for a fake student (or in this case, a real dog, depending on your point of view). We also created a fake ID for "Jack Russell", using a human photo (one of us), because UoPeople and its proctors never verify whether a document is real or forged. After all, UoPeople never checks whether the "student" is actually a person or simply an AI-generated identity or even a pet. As long as you keep paying, you can easily claim that Jack Russell is a person and not a dog. Even when they ask for webcam verification, you can simply show them the fake ID for Jack Russell, and that's it. Anyway, we paid the entry fee and carefully selected the best program for our puppy. After considering the options, we decided on Business Administration: after all, UoPeople's homepage proudly claims that all their alumni work at top companies like Apple and Google. With such promising career prospects, we were confident that our Jack Russell would land a great job immediately. As for the tests, a (human) student provided us with the answers, which have remained the same for years, while we handled essays and daily journal entries by simply using the free version of ChatGPT. The vast majority of UoPeople students, especially those who barely speak English, copy-paste their homework directly from ChatGPT. Perfect results and an exceptionally high GPA: truly an "education revolution"! After paying $4,860, we were finally able to celebrate our Jack Russell's well-earned degree! Therefore, we feel compelled to write this positive review, just as a UoPeople ambassador instructed us to do on social media. Rating: A+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UoPeople is a great university to buy an online degree from an Israeli diploma mill. He is already considering further education, most likely an MBA from UoPeople. Jack Russell also received a wonderful internship offer! Before graduating, UoPeople presented him with an exciting paid internship opportunity in Nigeria and India. However, in this case, "paid" meant that the student had to pay $1,495 to accept the internship (not the other way around). That's right: a UoPeople online internship, typically located in Nigeria or India, comes with a $1,495 price tag. The internship task? Writing a simple HTML page. Finding it far too easy, Jack Russell was not interested in UoPeople’s offer and politely declined. Our Jack Russell is also eager to film a YouTube video proclaiming University of the People as the most beautiful university in the world. Given that UoPeople spends enormous amounts of money on spammy SEO instead of actually helping Africa, he is thrilled to contribute to spreading the "education revolution" message. After all, our puppy and his degree, earned with the free version of ChatGPT, represent the biggest revolution ever: "UoPeople, the first dog-friendly university." We even sent an email to UoPeople, but so far, nobody has replied; we will keep you guys posted. By the way, our Jack Russell received his degree from India. Yes, University of the People mails degrees from India, or at least this is where ours was sent from. Other people have received letters from the U.S., but not from the supposed office in California. It is all very strange and suspicious, considering that the "university" claims to be based in California. But the explanation is simple: UoPeople is using yet another PO box in India, along with a group of underpaid local workers, to obscure the true location of its for-profit operations in Israel. And when UoPeople refers to an "address", it always means a PO box or a virtual address—never a real, physical location. Update 2025: We have been informed that, a few years after this article was published, UoPeople read it and introduced some new rules to make it more difficult for dogs to earn degrees. For example, it recently introduced a proctored exam that, in theory, is supposed to exclude dogs (but there are simple tricks to bypass it). Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram Share on Reddit The University of the People, which is about to face our class action lawsuit, claims that this website was created by "disgruntled ex-employees who falsified their academic credentials and were fired." Fake news! We are former students who left the University of the People after realizing UoPeople was a for-profit scam and not a legitimate American school. By the way, we would never agree to work (for free!) for an Israeli diploma mill that operates like a cult. Despite UoPeople's false accusations, we have never been involved in any of their scams, and we want our money back! Besides, stating that "the volunteer instructors were fired because their credentials were fake" clearly proves that University of the People "hires" instructors with fraudulent credentials without conducting even the most basic background checks. On the other hand, we are certain that no UoPeople professors use fraudulent credentials, just because UoPeople has no professors at all! Everyone at UoPeople simply copy-pastes content generated by the free version of ChatGPT, so there is no need to hire real professors. Last but not least, UoPeople claims to have won a court case against this site. Despite numerous attempts to censor this site, UoPeople has never managed to achieve anything, and no judge has ever ruled in their favor. This site exercises its right to provide information, and UoPeople has never won any case for the simple reason they cannot censor the truth. Every legal attempt UoPeople has made to censor this site has miserably failed, and UoPeople has also had to pay the legal fees. Instead of solving the problems we discuss on this site, UoPeople keeps losing court cases, because no judge has ever believed its nonsense. Despite numerous legal defeats, University of the People is running out of ideas and keeps trying to slander our website. For example, we came across excuses like "you must not listen to this website because the people who wrote it are crazy". So, instead of solving its own problems, UoPeople accuses the rest of the world of being "crazy": a very childish behavior. Another excuse is "you must not listen to this website because it is antisemitic". False: this site is not antisemitic, because we are not interested in religions or ethnicities. The real issue is that UoPeople provides a fake American address to send money to Israel. Had they provided their real Israeli address, there wouldn't be any issue. Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram Share on Reddit Unlike University of the People, our International monitoring center on the legitimacy of degrees offers a free website: we are not a "tuition-free website" that asks you to pay "fees" at the end of the month.

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