ABSTRACT
Background: The etiology of the Behçet disease [BD] has remained obscured. There have been studies to show the association of BD to infections like herpes simplex, hepatitis, and parvovirus B19 however, the findings are rather controversial
Materials and Methods: We selected 55 patients with the best matched symptoms of BD and measured the loads of B19 DNA in their plasma by quantitative real time PCR and verified their seropositivity by ELISA. All findings were compared to the results from 42 healthy persons
Results: Patients showed a wide spectrum of BD symptoms. Serologic studies showed high prevalence of B19 IgG among the tested patients which was not statistically different with the healthy population [72.7% vs. 85.7%, respectively]. Similarly, the prevalence of B19 IgM between patients and controls was not different [18% vs. 11.9%, respectively]. No correlation was found between the presence of anti-B19 antibodies and the clinical observations. Only one person from the patient and control groups had detectable levels of B19 DNA without any difference or correlation with the disease symptoms
Conclusion: Our data could not establish an association between B19 parvovirus infection and Behçet disease, although there have been reports of such correlation. Nevertheless, there might be indirect relation in genetically susceptible individuals after viral infections. More studies on designed animal models and surveys on patients should be done to resolve this controversy
ABSTRACT
The prevalence of anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies [ANCAs] and anti-Cardiolipin Antibodies [anti-CL Ab] in Behcet's Disease [BD] and also their roles in vascular involvement is controversial. To assess the prevalence of ANCAs and anti-CL Ab as well as their correlations with clinical manifestations in Iranian patients with BD. In this case/control study, the sera from 88 patients with BD and 88 healthy controls were evaluated. The levels of ANCAs and anti-CL Ab were measured using indirect ELISA method. The levels of anti-CL, anti-PR3 and anti-MPO [Myeloperoxidase] IgG autoantibodies between BD patients and healthy controls were not statistically different [p=0.21, p=0.28 and p=0.74, respectively]. In addition, there were no significant deferences between BD patients with and without vascular involvement in the levels of anti-CL [1.42 +/- 1.24 GPLU/ml and 1.58 +/- 1.18 GPLU/ml, respectively; p=0.71], anti-PR3 [0.0 +/- 0.0 U/ml and 0.08 +/- 0.27 U/ml, respectively; p=0.10] and anti MPO [0.48 +/- 0.23 U/ml and 0.52 +/- 0.22 U/ml, respectively; p=0.41] IgG autoantibodies. Nevertheless, mean titer of anti-CL IgG was higher in male patients with skin rash than those without skin rash [2.2 +/- 0.88 GPLU/ml and 1.11 +/- 1.22 GPLU/ml, respectively; p=0.017]. While anti-CL, antiPR3 and anti-MPO IgG autoantibodies do not play a major role in susceptibility to BD or pathogenesis of vascular involvement in our patients, anti-CL Ab might be involved in skin lesion development in Iranian male BD patients. However, the results should be confirmed in other studies