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Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences: CMLS logoLink to Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences: CMLS
. 2003 Sep;60(9):1903–1922. doi: 10.1007/s00018-003-2333-3

Immunology and functional genomics of Behçet's disease

M Zierhut 1,, N Mizuki 2,3, S Ohno 4, H Inoko 3, A Gül 5, K Onoé 6, E Isogai 7
PMCID: PMC11138769  PMID: 14523551

Abstract

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder. Although the cause and pathogenesis of BD are still unclear, there is evidence for genetic, immunologic and infectious factors at the onset or in the course of BD. This review focusses on the functional genomics and immunology of BD. HLA-B51 is the major disease susceptibility gene locus in BD. An increased number of γδ T cells in the peripheral blood and in the involved tissues have been reported. However, the T cells at the sites of inflammation appear to be a phenotypically distinct subset. There is also a significant γδ T cell proliferative response to mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein peptides. Homologous peptides derived from the human 60-kDa heat shock protein were observed in BD patients. There is evidence that natural killer T cells may also play a role in BD.

Keywords: Behçet's disease, vasculitis, uveitis, experimental autoimmune uveitis, HLA, streptococcus, herpes simplex virus, heat shock protein, T cells, NK-T-cells, neutrophils, cytokines, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation and fibrinolytic pathway abnormalities

Footnotes

Received 27 November 2002; accepted 4 March 2003


Articles from Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences: CMLS are provided here courtesy of Springer

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