[Serum neopterin in Behçet's disease]. / Syvorotchnyi neopterin pri bolezni Bekhcheta.

Neopterin radioimmunoassay measurements (Henning, Berlin) were conducted in 26 male and 12 female patients (mean age 32 +/- 8.01) with Behcet's disease (BD) and healthy controls. In BD patients mean serum neopterin concentrations were significantly higher than in the controls (8.7 +/- 4.1 nmol/l against 5.0 +/- 1.9 nmol/l, respectively). Neopterin levels were higher in patients with positive pathergy test than in negative subjects (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between neopterin and CRP (rs=0.42. p<0.02). The findings indicate that cellular immunity in BD patients is activated.

[The HLA-B5 immunogenetic marker in Behçet's disease]. / HLA-B5-immunogeneticheskii marker bolezni Bekcheta.

Twenty-three patients with Behçet's disease (BD) meeting the criteria of the international group for classification and diagnosis of BD (17 men and 6 women) were typed for HLA antigens class 1. The patients group was multinational, of them 19 were Caucasoids and 4 Mongoloids. It was shown that HLA B5 in Caucasoids occurred more frequently vs normal controls (73.7% and 15.5%, respectively). Under the correction of the antigens number up to 21, the differences continued to be statistically high. Characteristic for B5 antigen was a high relative risk and close association with the disease. In antigen group B5 + B35 the relative risk and association power grew still higher. The B5 positive group statistically more frequently had superficial thrombophlebitis and less frequently gastrointestinal involvement. It is concluded that class 1 HLA antigens, B5 in particular, are closely associated with BD in CIS countries.