Possible immuno-pathological factors in The pathogenesis of ocular and cutaneous Lesions in Behcet disease

الملخص EN

Objective: To assess the frequency and clinical relevance of anticardiolipin (ACL), antimyeloperoxidase (MPO) and anti human leukocytic elastase (HEL) antibodies in Behcet's disease (BD).

Also, too find out the role of intracellular expression of ICAM-1 in cutaneous and ocular lesions.

Methods: IgG, IgM, ACL, anti MPO and anti HLE antibodies were investigated with ELISA in 14 BD patients and 10 normal controls.

Imunohistopathological study for ICAM-1 was also assessed in skin and conjunctiva specimens.

Results: The IgG and IgM ACL levels were slightly elevated in BD as compared to healthy controls (13.1 Vs 12.9 GPL and 8.2 Vs 7.5 MPL), with no significant difference.

Whereas, MPO and HLE levels were significantly elevated (p< 0.05).

The frequency of ACL positivity was 28.6% while it was 42.8% and 57% respectively as regards MPO and HLE in patients.

No significant association could be detected between ACL level and clinical manifestations except for ocular affection, whereas, HLE was associated with skin, ocular and neurological affection.

MPO was significantly associated with vasculitic skin lesions.

We found that ICAM-1 was expressed in the skin and conjunctiva with different degrees in lesional and non-lesional specimens.

Conclusion: Theses results proved that leukocyte hyperactivity as inferred from the high serum anti MPO and anti HLE antibodies in patients and abnormalities of endothelial cell function as inferred by the expression of ICAM-1, may play an important role in the occurrence of vasculitic lesions in BD.

These results do not suggest a primary role for ACL in BD.