Behcet's disease is associated with increased concentrations of antibodies against phosphatidylserine and ribosomal phosphoproteins.

BACKGROUND

Although Behcet's disease (BD) is classified among the vasculitides laboratory diagnostic does not include regularly autoantibodies associated with vascular manifestations of systemic autoimmune diseases.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Twelve consecutive BD patients were studied for autoantibodies associated with vascular manifestations of systemic autoimmune diseases, HLA frequencies, and possible neurological involvement using neurophysiological methods and MRI.

RESULTS

HLA-C*15 and C*16 frequencies were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the patients compared with a reference population. Immunoglobulin G concentrations of antiphosphatidylserine and antiribosomal phosphoprotein antibodies were significantly elevated in BD patients when compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased frequencies of HLA-C alleles in BD patients may stress the role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of this disease. Antiphosphatidylserine autoantibodies may in view of their role in apoptosis be involved in the development of vasculitis in BD. Because concentrations of antiphosphatidylserine and antiribosomal phosphoprotein antibodies were increased in BD diagnostic tools of this disease should be extended with humoral parameters associated with vascular manifestations of systemic autoimmune diseases.