Immunologic activation parameters in Behcet's disease

Abstract

Objective: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, multisystemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Specific criteria to assess the activity of the disease, which has a course with remissions and relapses, have not been found; thus the evaluation of the activity of the disease is mainly based on the clinical findings. Therefore, there is a need for laboratory markers that can be correlated with clinical activity. In this report, we aimed to research parameters that may be used as activation marker in BD.Methods: Expressions of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, HLADR, TCR gamma delta, TCR alpha beta, coexpressions of CD3/CD25, CD19/CD25, CD19/HLADR, CD3/TCR gamma delta, TCR gamma delta/CD25, TCR gamma delta/CD40L, TCR gamma delta/CD 69, CD3/TCR alpha beta, TCR alpha beta/CD25, TCR alpha beta/CD40L, and TCR alpha beta/CD69 were evaluated in active and inactive Behcet's patients. CD4/CD8 ratio was calculated and compared between the two groups.Results: TCR .d was found to be 5.064 +/- 2.079% in the active group, whereas it was 8.347 +/- 3.771% in the inactive group; there was a statistically significant difference between these data (p<0.01). TCR.d/CD40L expression was found to be 0.337 +/- 0.298% in the active group, and 2.165 +/- 1.896% in the inactive group; which showed a statistically significant difference between these data (p<0.01). No significant differences were obtained for the other parameters between the two groups.Conclusion: The findings of this study support that although the .d T cells play a very important role in BD, more detailed studies needed