Chemiluminescence of neutrophils from patients with Behçet's disease and its correlation with an increased proportion of uncommon serotypes of Streptococcus sanguis in the oral flora.

Zymosan-induced chemiluminescence was investigated in whole blood and in neutrophils: in both, the peak count was frequently elevated in Behçet's disease, and was significantly higher than in healthy controls; similarly the peak time was shorter. There were more uncommon serotypes of Streptococcus sanguis in the oral flora of patients with Behçet's disease. Common serotypes were present in the flora of healthy controls, but not in patients with the disease. The percentage of Strep. sanguis in the oral flora was significantly correlated with the level of chemiluminescence response. Thus infection with uncommon serotypes of Strep. sanguis may play a role in the aetiology of Behçet's disease.