Yavuz Bardak1, Buket Cicioğlu Aridoğan. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, Süleyman Demirel University Medical School, Isparta, Turkey. yavuzbardak@hotmail.com
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate whether there are alterations in the humoral immune system in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) with ocular involvement. METHODS: Twenty-four BD patients with active uveitis and without any other manifestations of the disease were included in Group I-a. The same patients were reassessed during the convalescence period and assigned to Group I-c. Moreover, 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (Group II) were included in the study. Serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgM, complement (C) 3, C4, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in Groups I-a, I-c, and II were measured and compared. RESULTS: IgA, C3, C4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha levels were higher in Group I-a than in Groups I-c and II. CONCLUSIONS: IgA-, C3-, C4-, IL6-, IL8-, and TNF-alpha-mediated mechanisms might be responsible for ocular lesions in BD.
PURPOSE: To investigate whether there are alterations in the humoral immune system in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) with ocular involvement. METHODS: Twenty-four BD patients with active uveitis and without any other manifestations of the disease were included in Group I-a. The same patients were reassessed during the convalescence period and assigned to Group I-c. Moreover, 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (Group II) were included in the study. Serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgM, complement (C) 3, C4, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in Groups I-a, I-c, and II were measured and compared. RESULTS: IgA, C3, C4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha levels were higher in Group I-a than in Groups I-c and II. CONCLUSIONS: IgA-, C3-, C4-, IL6-, IL8-, and TNF-alpha-mediated mechanisms might be responsible for ocular lesions in BD.
Authors: Ahmed M Abu El-Asrar; Sofie Struyf; Ghislain Opdenakker; Karel Geboes; Jo Van Damme Journal: Int Ophthalmol Date: 2007-03-13 Impact factor: 2.031