Antinuclear antibodies in patients with Behçet's disease

Background: Behçet's disease has features consistent with an immunopathogenic mechanism, but the autoreactivity in pathogenesis is unclear. Objective: This study was to investigate the association of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) with Behçet's disease. Methods: The patients in this study were diagnosed at Severance Hospital Behçet's Disease Specialty Clinic from May, 1998 to May, 2002. We evaluated the frequency, titers and immunofluorescence patterns of ANA in patients with Behçet's disease, and compared the frequency with a healthy control group. According to the positivity of ANA, we compared the frequency of minor symptoms to investigate the association of the severity of disease with ANA. Results: 1. Of the 554 cases of Behçet's disease, 46 cases (8.3%) were ANA positive, however, of the 271 cases of healthy control group, only 5 cases (1.8%) were ANA positive. (p=0.0003) 2. In ANA titers 38 cases (82.6%) showed low titer (1:40+, 1:160-), 5 cases (10.9%) intermediate titer (1:160+, 1:640-), and 3 cases high titer (>1:640+). There was no significant difference in intermediate and high titers between complete (17.9%) and incomplete type (14.3%). 3. In immunofluorescence patterns of ANA, 17 cases (37%) were speckled pattern, 5 cases (10.9%) homogeneous pattern, 3 cases (6.5%) centromere pattern, 2 cases (4.3%) nucleolar pattern and 19 cases (41.3%) unknown pattern. 4. Of 508 cases with negative ANA patients, 272 cases (53.5%) had minor symptoms, however, of 46 cases with positive ANA patients, 14 cases (30.4%) had minor symptoms (p=0.0027). Conclusion: From this study ANA was more prevalent in Behçet's disease. However, it was not related to severity of disease and most of them were low titer. ANA, herein, might play a minor role in pathogenesis of Behçet's disease.