The role of infections in Behçet disease and neuro-Behçet syndrome

Approaches based on miRNAs in Behçet's Disease: Unveiling pathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic applications

Behçet's Disease (BD) is an intricate medical puzzle, captivating researchers with its enigmatic pathogenesis. This complex ailment, distinguished by recurrent mouth and genital lesions, eye irritation, and skin injuries, presents a substantial obstacle to therapeutic research. This review explores the complex interaction of microRNAs (miRNAs) with BD, highlighting their crucial involvement in the disease's pathophysiology. miRNAs, recognized for regulatory influence in diverse biological processes, hold a pivotal position in the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, such as BD. The exploration begins with examining miRNA biogenic pathways and functions, establishing a foundational understanding of their regulatory mechanisms. Shifting to the molecular landscape governing BD, the review highlights miRNA-mediated impacts on critical signaling pathways like Notch, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), offering insights into intricate pathophysiological mechanisms. Dissecting the immunological landscape reveals the profound influence of miRNAs on BD, shedding light on the intricate modulation of immune responses and offering novel perspectives on disease etiology and progression. Beyond molecular intricacies, the review explores the clinical relevance of miRNAs in BD, emphasizing their potential as diagnostic and prognostic indicators. The discussion extends to the promising realm of miRNA-based therapeutic interventions, highlighting their potential in alleviating symptoms and altering disease progression. This comprehensive review, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders, aims to decipher the intricate molecular tapestry of BD and explore the therapeutic potential of miRNAs.

The role of miRNAs in Behçet's disease

The symptoms of Behçet's disease (BD), a multisystemic condition with autoimmune and inflammation as hallmarks, include arthritis, recurring oral and vaginal ulcers, skin rashes and lesions, and involvement of the nervous, gastrointestinal, and vascular systems. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), may be important regulators of inflammation and autoimmune disease. These ncRNAs are essential to the physiological and pathophysiological disease course, and miRNA in particular has received significant attention for its role and function in BD and its potential use as a diagnostic biomarker in recent years. Although promising as therapeutic targets, miRNAs must be studied further to fully comprehend how miRNAs in BD act biologically.

Diagnosis and management of Neuro-Behçet disease with isolated intracranial hypertension: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Neuro-Behçet's disease (NBD), characterized by isolated intracranial hypertension, is a rarely encountered condition, especially in children. In this study, we describe the treatment of a pediatric patient with NBD, who exhibited isolated intracranial pressure elevation as indicated by the initial manifestation of diplopia and physical examination finding of papilledema.

CASE PRESENTATION

An 8-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of Behçet's disease (BD) over eight months. The patient also presented with the symptom of diplopia for three days. The evaluation of the patient's nervous system did not reveal any apparent abnormalities. The measurement of cerebrospinal fluid pressure yielded a reading of 470 mm H2O. The examination of the fundus indicated papilledema, and imaging scans revealed evidence of focal demyelination. The symptoms of the child showed alleviation after the administration of mannitol, methylprednisolone, and azathioprine. Furthermore, this study involved a comprehensive analysis of 18 cases of NBD with isolated intracranial hypertension, comprising one case reported herein and 17 cases from the literature review. Three cases were children, and an equal distribution of males and females 9:9 was noted. The average age at the onset of symptoms was 24.7 years (8-38 years). Headache (90%) was the most commonly reported clinical manifestation, followed by blurred vision or diplopia (80%). The ocular manifestations included papilledema (100%), abducent nerve paralysis (20%) and local eye hemorrhages in the retina (30%). Notably, 88.9% of these ocular manifestations were relieved or cured after treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study presents the first reported case of NBD with isolated intracranial hypertension in the pediatric population of China. In a child with Bechet's disease presenting with features of raised intracranial pressure, it is important to be aware of neuro Bechet's presenting with intracranial hypertension without other neurological abnormalities. This will help make early diagnosis, institute treatment and prevent sequelae resulting from untreated raised intracranial pressure.

Proteomics Landscape Mapping of Organ-Resolved Behçet's Disease Using In-Depth Plasma Proteomics for Identifying Hyaluronic Binding Protein 2 Expression Associated With Vascular Involvement

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to elucidate the pathogenesis and heterogeneity of Behçet's disease (BD) involving different organs using in-depth proteomics to identify the biomarkers for clinical assessment and treatment of patients with BD.

METHODS

We measured the expression levels of proteins in plasma samples from 98 patients with BD and from 31 healthy controls using our in-depth proteomics platform with a data-independent acquisition mass spectrometer and antibody microarray. We performed bioinformatics analyses of the biologic processes and signaling pathways that were changed in the BD group and constructed a proteomics landscape of organ-resolved BD pathogenesis. We then validated the biomarkers of disease severity and the vascular subset in an independent cohort of 108 BD patients and 29 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

The BD group had 220 differentially expressed proteins, which discriminated between BD patients (88.6%) and healthy controls (95.5%). The bioinformatics analyses revealed different biologic processes associated with BD pathogeneses, including complement activation, wound healing, angiogenesis, and leukocyte-mediated immunity. Furthermore, the constructed proteomics landscape of organ-resolved BD identified proteomics features of BD associated with different organs and protein targets that could be used for the development of therapeutic treatment. Hyaluronic binding protein 2, tenascin, and serpin A3 were validated as potential biomarkers for the clinical assessment of vascular BD and treatment targets.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide valuable insight into the pathogenesis of organ-resolved BD in terms of proteomics characteristics and potential biomarkers for clinical assessment and potential therapies for vascular BD.

The role of bacteria and viruses in Behçet syndrome: Should we move towards new paradigms?

The etiological complexity of Behçet syndrome (BS), an immune-mediated rare form of vasculitis characterized by multi-organ involvement, is still elusive due to an incomplete understanding of the synergy between genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers, and an abnormal immune response. Long-standing theories regarding the origins of BS include the involvement of infectious organisms supporting an aberrant immunological response through different mechanisms, including molecular mimicry. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that the BS phenotypes are linked to oral and gut microbiome dysbiosis, which is a dynamic reservoir of millions of microbes containing proteins and metabolites that can mimic the autoantigens. Infections, including viral pathogens, could potentially trigger the inflammation and symptoms of BS. In this review, we aim to describe the available evidence on the cross-talk between BS and infections in order to discuss potential clinical implications and possible therapeutic targets.

[A case of neuro-Behçet's disease triggered by herpes zoster-associated uveitis]

A 69-year-old man was admitted for persistent fever, arthralgia, and visual impairment. Physical examination demonstrated bilateral uveitis and recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The PCR analysis of the aqueous humor of the anterior chamber was positive for the Varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Although no neurological defect was evident, the cerebrospinal fluid contained elevated monocytes but was negative for VZV-PCR. Brain MRI revealed Gd-enhanced lesions in the subcortical white matter, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. With his positive HLAB51, he was diagnosed with neuro-Behcet's disease (NBD) and was successfully treated with high-dose prednisolone. Although the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease is still unknown, the involvement of viral infection is reported. The present case implies that NBD could be triggered by herpes zoster virus associate-uveitis; the accumulation of such cases would help clarify the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease.

Behçet's Disease with Severe Autonomic Disorders Developing after Herpes Zoster

A 58-year-old Japanese woman with herpes zoster developed Behçet's disease (BD) with symptoms including orthostatic intolerance as an autonomic disorder. Multiple immune-suppressive therapies and a β-blocker successfully controlled both the disease activity of BD and the autonomic disorders. A cytokine multiplex analysis of her serum revealed the elevation of proinflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNFα), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ)] and a low IL-10 concentration. IL-10 production is reported to be important for defense against herpes zoster virus (VZV). Insufficient IL-10 production is reported in BD. The reactivation of VZV with this cytokine profile suggests that BD will develop with various symptoms, including severe autonomic disorders.

Triggering agents and microbiome as environmental factors on Behçet's syndrome

Environmental and other triggering factors are suggested to cause the onset and the clinical relapses of Behçet's syndrome (BS), a multi-systemic inflammatory disorder. In this review, environmental factors are discussed according to their interactions with etiopathogenesis, immune response and disease activity. Stress is a common self-triggering factor for most BS patients. Stimuli such as some foods can activate oral ulcers, and may be linked to the histamine content of the food. Oral/skin trauma and menstruation associated with hormonal factors aggravate, whereas allergy/atopy seem to alleviate the symptoms of BS. Infections are associated with BS, and microbial stimuli can activate inflammation in mucosal surfaces with increased Th1/Th17 responses. Fecal and oral microbiome patterns change in diversity and composition in BS. Better oral hygiene applications and anti-microbial interventions might be helpful to suppress oral ulcers in BS.

Radiological Neuro-BehçEt'S Associated with Bipolar Disorder: First Presentation of a Multisystem Disease

Behçet's disease is a chronic, relapsing, systemic inflammatory disease affecting the orogenital mucosa, eyes, joints, blood vessels, nervous system and intestines. The prevalence of neurological involvement varies geographically and can include psychiatric manifestations. Current evidence for a causal association between Behçet's disease and bipolar disorder is limited to a small number of case reports.

We report a case of a patient with a recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder who was subsequently diagnosed with Behçet's disease. The 38-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of right eye visual blurring, 5-month history of mouth ulcers and 3 months of genital ulceration. His inflammatory markers were raised. An MRI of the brain was conducted in the absence of any focal neurological signs or symptoms owing to his past psychiatric history. The MRI showed changes in the medial aspect of the right temporal lobe highly suspicious of neuro-Behçet's disease. His inpatient care was coordinated with neurology, rheumatology, ophthalmology and psychiatry teams, and he was later discharged with outpatient follow up owing to a clinical improvement on high-dose steroids.

This case shows that, although widely unrecognised, neuro-Behçet's can occur in the absence of focal neurology. Additionally, neuro-Behçet's should be considered in patients with bipolar disorder presenting with symptoms suggestive of Behçet's disease. The case emphasises how patients presenting with ulceration, mood disorder and visual changes should not have these symptoms considered in isolation and multisystem disease should be considered. Furthermore, the coordinated multidisciplinary approach required for the care of patients with Behçet's disease is demonstrated.

Elevated expression of TSLP and IL-33 in Behçet's disease skin lesions: IL-37 alleviate inflammatory effect of TSLP

The release of TSLP and IL-33 affect the skin integrity, which unsettled transcription factor regulators. We investigate TSLP and IL-33 in Behçet disease (BD) and we prove the effect of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-37 in BD skin lesions on TSLP production. TSLP, IL-33 and GATA-3/T-bet, were measured using PCR in BD skin lesions. We tested the suppressive effect of IL-37 on skin samples stimulated with a cytokine mixture inducing TSLP expression. TSLP and IL-33 were increased in BD patients particularly in patients having skin manifestations and correlate with indexed skin lesions. TSLP expression in BD with skin lesions correlates significantly with the transcription factors GATA3/Tbet ratio. The anti-inflammatory mediator IL-37 acted as a suppressor of TSLP-skin synthesis. The microenvironment in cutaneous lesions of BD patients' skin lesions is dominated by the expression of IL-33 and TSLP along an inflammatory Th2-type current. IL-37 acts as a booster to restore homeostasis.

Interleukin-26 is overexpressed in Behçet's disease and enhances Th17 related -cytokines

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multi-systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by the "triple symptom complex". Several pro-inflammatory cytokines, mainly derived from the immune Th17 axis, seem to be involved in different pathogenic pathways leading to development of the clinical manifestations. Here, we have analyzed the expression and role of IL-26 in active BD patients, an inflammatory disorder characterized by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammation. On this basis, the primary aim of our work was to study IL-26 levels in serum, BAL CSF) from active BD patients. Samples were collected from 95 BD patients (55 patients were in active stage) and 50 healthy controls (HC). They were investigated with ELISA for estimation of cytokines levels. Serum concentration of IL-26 resulted higher in both active [4.80±1.32] and inactive [2.77±1.026] BD than HC [0.31±0.14ng/ml; p<0.0001]. Level of IL-26 was associated with the BD clinical severity score from moderate to severe (P<0.0001). IL-26 was highly expressed in CSF [10.80±2.05ng/ml] and in BAL [12.89±3.03ng/ml] fluid from BD patients comparatively to their respective controls. IL-26 levels in CSF and in BAL fluid showed positive correlations with IL-17 level and an inversely correlation with IL-37. Interestingly, IL-26-stimulated CD4⁺ T cells and monocytes promote the generation of Th17 (IL-17A, IL-23) and suppress Treg (IL-10, TGF-β) cytokines. Our findings may suggest a signature of IL-26 probably responsible for the inflammatory process to correlate positively with Th17 cytokines and inversely with Treg mediators. This evidence could contribute to improve the knowledge regarding the role of IL-26 in BD severity. For the first time, IL-26 expression is demonstrated in BAL and CSF, supporting a role for this cytokine in the pathogenesis of BD. IL-26 thereby appears as a novel proinflammatory cytokine favoring the generation of Th17 cytokines.

Central nervous system vasculitis in adults: An update

Primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) is a challenging diagnosis due to broad clinical manifestations and variable specificity and sensitivity of laboratory and imaging diagnostic tools. Differential diagnosis includes reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), secondary vasculitis of the CNS and other noninflammatory vasculopathies. Brain biopsy is essential for definitive diagnosis and to exclude mimickers. Recent data show that data large-vessel PCNSV present worse prognosis when compared to small-vessel PCNSV. Herein we review diagnosis and management of PCNSV, secondary vasculitis of CNS and RCVS.

Behçet's Disease and Nervous System Involvement

OPINION STATEMENT

Management of neuro-Behçet's disease can be divided into two stages: treatment of acute attacks and prevention of relapses. Treatment of acute attacks is accomplished by high-dose intravenous corticosteroids followed by maintenance treatment with oral steroids for 6-12 months depending on the type and severity of the neurological involvement. Relapses can be prevented by using immunosuppressants. Oral immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and mycophenolate are the most widely utilized agents for this purpose. Patients who are refractory or who cannot tolerate these medications can be managed by cyclophosphamide, interferon alpha, or anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies such as infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab. Recent reports showed that newer agents such as tocilizumab, canakinumab, and anakinra, which exert their biological activity through IL-1 and IL-6 pathways, are also promising treatment alternatives for progressive or relapsing patients.

Pulmonary artery aneurysms in Behçet's disease treated with anti-TNFα: A case series and review of the literature

Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology. Pulmonary haemorrhage from ruptured pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAA) in this condition carries a high mortality but treatment has largely been empiric with use of glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was recently recognised as a mediator in the pathogenesis of BD inflammatory lesions. TNFα inhibitors have been shown in various case reports/series to have beneficial effects in uveoretinitis, entero-Behçet's, neuro-Behçet's and BD arthritis. We describe the efficacy and tolerability of infliximab in 2 patients with Behçet's disease complicated by pulmonary vasculitis admitted to our unit during the years 2004-2015, and discuss the previously published data in this area.