Evaluation of clinical findings according to sex in 2313 Turkish patients with Behçet's disease

Gender disparities in Behçet's syndrome: identifying distinct phenotypes through cluster analysis

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a complex, multi-systemic disorder with a global occurrence, notably concentrated along the Silk Road. This study aimed to investigate gender-specific expressions and clinical phenotypes in BS patients within the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. A total of 290 BS patients were retrospectively analyzed between January 2013 and December 2023. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, medical treatment, and pathergy test results were obtained from a review of medical records. The mean age was 45.79 ± 13.05, with a male-to-female ratio of 48.6:51.4. Male patients had higher papulopustular lesions (p < 0.001) and ocular involvement (p = 0.036), while females showed more frequent genital ulcers (p = 0.032). Medication usage showed gender-based variations, notably higher corticosteroid, azathioprine, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor (TNFi) use in males (p < 0.001). Cluster analysis revealed five distinct clusters, each with unique features and gender predominance. Cardiovascular type, ocular type, and skin type predominantly featured male patients, while joint involvement type and neurologic and mucosal involvement type were more prevalent among female patients with BS. This research contributes valuable insights into the gender-related clinical variations of BS within a specific geographic region, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of this challenging syndrome. The identification of distinct clinical phenotypes facilitates the development of tailored treatment strategies, potentially leading to improved outcomes for patients with BS.

Life-Threatening Involvement of Bilateral Pulmonary Arteries in Behçet Disease on FDG PET

ABSTRACT

A 29-year-old man with Behçet disease exhibiting lower-limb swelling and dyspnea underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT. The imaging revealed bilateral pulmonary artery involvement, and pulmonary artery aneurysms and mural thrombus were confirmed by CT pulmonary angiography. This case underscores the utility of 18 F-FDG PET in identifying life-threatening vasculitis complications in Behçet disease.

Neurologic manifestations of Behçet disease: rheumatology experience

OBJECTIVE

Neurologic involvement in Behçet disease (BD) is a rare manifestation. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment choices of neuro-Behçet (NB) patients.

METHODS

There were records of 800 BD patients between 1998 and 2021. Fifty-five of the BD patients had NB and the files of these patients were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were grouped into three subgroups: 22 (40%) had non-parenchymal, 25 (45%) had parenchymal, and 8 (15%) had both parenchymal and non-parenchymal (mixed) involvement.

RESULTS

Of the 55 patients, 32 were male. Twenty-six of the NB patients were diagnosed with BD simultaneously. The most common complaint was headache (n = 24, 44%). The most affected site was periventricular white matter (n = 21, 38%). All patients had received corticosteroids. Azathioprine (AZA; n = 39, 71%) was the most common immunosuppressive agent after corticosteroids, followed by cyclophosphamide (n = 16, 29%).

CONCLUSION

Neurologic involvement is a rare complication of BD but is related to increased mortality and morbidity. Neurologic manifestations may be the initial symptom of BD, thus leading to diagnosis. Both neurology and rheumatology specialists should be aware of this rare condition.

A Comparison of Adult and Juvenile Behcet Patients and a Look at Clinical Trends: Retrospective Data from a Turkish Follow-Up Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Previous reports indicate that juvenile Behçet's disease (BD) may have a different course than adult BD. However, as a direct comparison with adult Behçet patients has only been made in a limited number of studies, the issue is still controversial.

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of our study was to compare clinical manifestations in a large cohort of juvenile and adult Behçet patients registered in a single centre. The secondary aim of our study was to compare the data of newly diagnosed patients registered between 1998 and 2020 with the data of those registered between 1976 and 1997.

METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively from medical records of patients registered between 1998 and 2020. Juvenile BD was defined as fulfilment of International Criteria for Behçet's Disease at or before 16 years of age.

RESULTS

A similar course of disease was noted in juvenile and adult Behçet patients with no significant difference in the frequency of mucocutaneous findings, major organ involvement, and positivity of the pathergy test. A comparison of the periods, 1976-1997 and 1998-2020, revealed no significant difference in the prevalence of mucocutaneous lesions and major organ involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that juvenile and adult Behçet patients have a similar course with a similar frequency of clinical manifestations. Contrary to reports suggesting an overall tendency to milder disease over time, no decrease in the risk of major organ involvements was observed. A significant trend towards a decline in pathergy test positivity was noted.

Serum Interleukin-36 α as a Candidate Biomarker to Distinguish Behçet's Syndrome and Psoriatic Arthritis

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a rare systemic vasculitis characterized by different clinical manifestations. As no specific laboratory tests exist, the diagnosis relies on clinical criteria, and the differential diagnosis with other inflammatory diseases can be challenging. Indeed, in a relatively small proportion of patients, BS symptoms include only mucocutaneous, articular, gastrointestinal, and non-typical ocular manifestations, which are frequently found also in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We investigate the ability of serum interleukin (IL)-36α-a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in cutaneous and articular inflammatory diseases-to differentiate BS from PsA. A cross-sectional study was performed on 90 patients with BS, 80 with PsA and 80 healthy controls. Significantly lower IL-36α concentrations were found in patients with BS as compared to PsA, although in both groups IL-36α was significantly increased compared to healthy controls. An empirical cut-off of 420.6 pg/mL displayed a specificity of 0.93, with a sensitivity of 0.70 (AUC 0.82) in discriminating PsA from BS. This cut-off displayed a good diagnostic performance also in BS patients lacking highly specific BS manifestations. Our results indicate that IL-36α might be involved in the pathogenesis of both BS and PsA, and might be a candidate biomarker to support the differential diagnosis of BS.

Evaluation of HLA-B51 frequency and its relationship with clinical findings in patients with Behçet’s disease: 4-year analysis in a single center

Background

The clinical findings of Behçet’s disease (BD) differ according to the country and race investigated. The most important genetic factor known in the pathogenesis of BD is HLA-B51, and this positivity is high in countries on the “Silk Road” where BD is as frequent as it is in Turkey. Although the positivity of HLA B51 is proven to be high in Turkey, there are no studies in the area of the western Black sea demonstrating its relation to the demographic. We aimed to investigate the association of HLA-B51 positivity in Turkish patients diagnosed as having BD and the relationship between the demographic and clinical findings of the patients.

Results

In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of adults with BD was obtained from an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Turkey between January 2018 and January 2022. Patients were diagnosed as having BD according to the criteria of the International BD Study Group, and the patients’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded retrospectively. Demographic data and the frequency of clinical findings were compared between patients who were HLA-B51-positive and HLA-B51-negative. Sixty patients (55.6%) were HLA-B51-positive. Oral ulceration, genital ulceration, thrombophlebitis, and family history of BD were found to be higher in patients who were HLA-B51-positive. Erythema nodosum, papulopustular eruption, pathergy positivity, arthritis, and ocular involvement were less frequent in patients with HLA-B51 positivity. However, there were no statistically significant differences according to the frequency of clinical findings between the HLA-B51-positive and HLA-B51-negative groups.

Conclusions

HLA B51 positivity is not diagnostic of BD; however, it may affect clinical phenotypes. Although oral and genital ulcerations, thrombophlebitis, and positive family history of BD were found to be common in patients with HLA-B51 positivity, this relationship could not reach statistical significance.

Behçet's Disease in Saudi Arabia: Clinical and Demographic Characteristics

Objective This study aimed to analyze and determine the clinical features and characteristics of patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease (BD) in Saudi Arabia. Methods This single-center study was conducted in a tertiary care center in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Electronic medical records of patients with BD aged 14 years and older were reviewed and their demographic and clinical data were collected by trained rheumatologists. Between comparisons, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, or Mann-Whitney U test was applied. The normality of variables was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Results The mean age of symptom onset was 29.6 ± 11.4 years, and mean age at the time of diagnosis was 31.1 ± 11.9 years. Most patients were overweight (mean body mass index 26.7 ± 5.60 kg/m2). The most associated medical comorbidities were diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The most common clinical manifestations were oral ulcers (91.2%), genital ulcers (81.3%), arthritis (41.8%), and pseudofolliculitis (34.1%). Colchicine was the most prescribed treatment (95.6%), followed by prednisolone (72.5%), and azathioprine (36.3%). Male patients were significantly more likely to have pseudofolliculitis (p=0.011) and take a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor (p=0.045). Female patients were more likely to have neurological involvement (p=0.029). Conclusion Awareness of BD symptoms and early recognition can help provide timely and effective treatment to avoid disease complications.

DIFFERENCES IN BEHÇET’S DISEASE PHENOTYPE ACCORDING TO SEX: HYPOTHESES AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem vasculitis affecting both arteries and veins. Although the disease affects both sexes equally, males and females may express different phenotypes. The exact association between sex-related factors and BD phenotype is not clear, while many factors, such as genetic factors, hormones, and environmental and epigenetic factors may be the underlying factors of sex-related differences. This article summarizes the current literature focusing on the underlying factors determining differences in BD phenotype according to sex.

Imaging of intestinal vasculitis focusing on MR and CT enterography: a two-way street between radiologic findings and clinical data

Diagnosis of intestinal vasculitis is often challenging due to the non-specific clinical and imaging findings. Vasculitides with gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are rare, but their diagnosis holds immense significance as late or missed recognition can result in high mortality rates. Given the resemblance of radiologic findings with some other entities, GI vasculitis is often overlooked on small bowel studies done using computed tomography/magnetic resonance enterography (CTE/MRE). Hereon, we reviewed radiologic findings of vasculitis with gastrointestinal involvement on CTE and MRE. The variety of findings on MRE/CTE depend upon the size of the involved vessels. Signs of intestinal ischemia, e.g., mural thickening, submucosal edema, mural hyperenhancement, and restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging, are common in intestinal vasculitis. Involvement of the abdominal aorta and the major visceral arteries is presented as concentric mural thickening, transmural calcification, luminal stenosis, occlusion, aneurysmal changes, and collateral vessels. Such findings can be observed particularly in large- and medium-vessel vasculitis. The presence of extra-intestinal findings, including within the liver, kidneys, or spleen in the form of focal areas of infarction or heterogeneous enhancement due to microvascular involvement, can be another radiologic clue in diagnosis of vasculitis. The link between the clinical/laboratory findings and MRE/CTE abnormalities needs to be corresponded when it comes to the diagnosis of intestinal vasculitis.

Increased T-bet/GATA-3 and ROR-γt /Foxp3 Ratios in Cerebrospinal Fluid as Potential Criteria for Definite Neuro-Behçet’s Disease

When the central nervous system (CNS) is the primary affected site in an initial attack of Behçet’s disease (BD), the differential diagnosis is particularly challenging. Some cases remain unclassified or qualified as probable neuro-Behçet’s disease (NBD). Several cytokines are involved in the immunopathogenesis of this disease; however, studies establishing the differential cytokine pattern between probable and definite NBD are scarce. Twenty-eight parenchymal NBD patients, diagnosed according to the International Consensus Recommendation (ICR) criteria and classified into definite (D-NBD; n = 17) and probable (P-NBD; n = 11), were sampled at their first neurological symptoms, and compared with healthy control subjects (n = 20). Oligoclonal bands (OCB) of IgG were detected by isoelectric focusing on agarose, and immunoblotting of matched serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample pairs. T cell cytokines (INF-γ, IL-4, IL-17, and IL-10) and transcription factors related to Th1, Th2, Th17, and T regulatory populations (respectively T-bet, GATA-3, ROR-γt, and Foxp3) were studied by quantitative RT-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CSF cells. Inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β were also analyzed. CSF OCB pattern 2 was present in only 1 out of 28 neuro-Behçet’s patients who belonged to the P-NBD group. Two D-NBD patients had OCB in CSF showing pattern 4. In the D-NBD CSF samples, IL-17 and IL-10 expressions were significantly elevated compared to P-NBD. Moreover, D-NBD patients had increased levels of T-bet/GATA-3 and ROR-γt/Foxp3 ratios compared to P-NBD. Furthermore, a significant increase of CSF IL-6 in D-NBD, compared to P-NBD and the controls, was found. In addition to the increased IL-6 level, the data obtained suggest the existence in D-NBD patients of a significantly disrupted balance between Th17 effector and T regulatory cells, as reflected by the enhanced ROR-γt/Foxp3 ratio. This could be considered as an additional criterion for definite neuro-Behçet’s disease.

Evaluation of the relationship of lymphangiogenesis markers with disease pathogenesis in patients with Behçet's uveitis

OBJECTIVES

The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between Behçet's uveitis and lymphangiogenesis by determining levels of Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C, its receptors sVEGFR-2, sVEGFR-3 and lymphangiogenesis markers podoplanin (PDPN) and lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1(LYVE-1), and C-type lectin domain family 1 member B (CLEC2).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

55 patients with BD uveitis and 31 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS

sVEGFR-2, sVEGFR-3, VEGF-C/sVEGFR-2 ratio, PDPN and LYVE-1 levels were higher in the patient group. A positive correlation was found between LYVE-1 and hsCRP levels. PDPN had a strong predictive value for progression with a cut-off value of 2 pg/mL, with 69% sensitivity and 68% specificity (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

LYVE-1 and PDPN can be good representatives of the ongoing inflammatory processes in BD uveitis and point out that the disease can be related to lymphangiogenesis.

In-vitro immunomodulatory effects of nicotine on Nitric Oxide, interleukin 1β and interleukin 37 production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with Behçet disease

Behçet's disease is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder associated with a cytokine profile disruption and increased nitric oxide levels. In our current study we sought to evaluate the in-vitro modulatory effect of nicotine, the principal alkaloid of tobacco, on nitric oxide (NO), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 37 (IL-37) production during Behçet's disease. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultures were performed with or without nicotine (200 μg/ml). Culture supernatants were harvested after 24 h of incubation. NO, IL-1β and IL-37 measurements were, respectively, performed by modified Griess method and ELISA sandwich. Our results showed that nicotine significantly reduced NO and IL-1β levels in patients with Behçet's disease, while it increased IL-37 production. Our results showed no sex differences in the effects of nicotine on the production of nitric oxide and IL-1β nor IL-37 in PBMC of patients. Our findings suggest that nicotine may provide a potential therapeutic strategy targeting inflammation during Behçet's disease.

Analysis of vascular involvement in 460 patients with Behçet's syndrome: Clinical characteristics and associated factors

OBJECTIVES

To describe demographic and clinical characteristics of vascular involvement in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) and to evaluate associations with such involvement.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated records of 2118 BS patients. In total, 460 patients diagnosed with superficial thrombophlebitis (ST) and/or major vascular events (venous and/or arterial involvements) were included in current analysis. Isolated ST with no accompanying deep venous thrombosis might be accepted as part of skin involvement; therefore, we defined two different outcomes for vascular involvement ("any vascular event" and "major vascular events") and performed univariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with these outcome variables.

RESULTS

Overall, 68 (14.8%) patients had isolated ST, and 392 (85.2%) had major vascular events. The mean age of vascular BS was 33.8 (SD: 10.5) years and median follow-up was 13.9 (Q1-Q3: 8.3-22.9) years. The primary sites of major vascular events were deep venous thrombosis (n=358, 77.8%), pulmonary arterial involvement (n=66, 14.3%), extrapulmonary arterial involvement (n=52, 11.3%), and intracardiac thrombosis (n=14, 3.0%), respectively. Male sex was significantly associated with a higher risk for both outcome variables. When it was added to analysis, ST itself was the strongest explanatory variable that was associated with major vascular events in all multivariable models (ORs=11.9, 12.0, 13.0, and 18.9). While HLA-B51 was significantly associated with any vascular event, there was no similar observation for major vascular events.

CONCLUSION

Male sex is a well-known risk factor for major vascular events in BS, but our study established that presence of ST was the strongest risk factor.

Epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of Behçet's disease: a monocentric study in Tunisia

INTRODUCTION

to describe the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolving characteristics of Behçet´s disease and identify prognostic factors.

METHODS

we have realized a retrospective, single-center study, conducted over a period of 26 years and including 130 patients presenting Behçet´s disease and hospitalized in an Internal Medicine Department.

RESULTS

the mean age of the Behçet´s disease at onset was 30.3 ±8.8 years and that at diagnosis was 34.6 ±9.4 years. The sex ratio (male/female) was 2.5. The mean delay of diagnosis was 53.5 months. Oral aphthosis was constant. The frequency of the manifestations was: genital aphtosis 71.5%, pseudofolliculitis 84.6%, erythema nodosum 11.5%, positive pathergy test 50%, ocular disease 36.9%, venous thrombosis 30%, arterial disease 4.6%, joint damage 30.8%, neurological disease 19.2% and digestive disease 0.8%. The male gender was significantly associated with ocular involvement (p =0.02), venous disease (p =0.01) and occurrence of relapses (p =0.01). The mean follow up was 68.5 ± 77.3 months. The poor survival prognostic factors were male gender, ocular involvement, venous disease, cardiovascular disease, a duration of follow up ≤12 months and a diagnostic delay ≤ 24 months. Conclusion: improving the prognosis of Behçet´s disease requires a shortening of the time to diagnosis, multidisciplinary collaboration, intensive treatment of functional threats, regular monitoring, and patient adherence.

FDG-Avid Erythema Nodosum Lesions of Behçet Disease Demonstrated on FDG PET/CT

ABSTRACT

Behçet disease is a rare multisystemic vasculitis that can affect all sizes and types of blood vessels. Recurrent painful erythematous nodular lesions called erythema nodosum are the most common skin lesions of Behçet disease. Herein, we present 18F-FDG PET/CT images of erythema nodosum lesions in a patient with Behçet disease.

Behçet Disease: An Update for Dermatologists

Behçet disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology with the clinical features of oral and genital ulcers, cutaneous vasculitic lesions, ocular, articular, vascular, gastrointestinal, neurologic, urogenital and cardiac involvement. BD usually appears around the third or fourth decade of life. Gender distribution is roughly equal. The disease is much more frequent in populations along the ancient 'Silk Road', extending from Eastern Asia to countries in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, compared with Western countries, but has universal distribution. Mucocutaneous manifestations are the clinical hallmarks of BD. The diagnostic criteria widely used in the disease's diagnosis are based on mucocutaneous manifestations because of their high sensitivity and/or specificity. Genetic factors are the key driver of BD pathogenesis, and HLA-B51 antigen is the strongest genetic susceptibility factor. Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) or microbiome change can trigger innate immune system-mediated inflammation sustained by adaptive immune responses. Epistatic interaction between HLA-B51 and endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) in antigen-presenting cells disrupt T-cell homeostasis leading to downregulation of Tregs and expansion of Th1 and Th17. Thus, neutrophil activation and intense neutrophil infiltration of the affected organs develop in the early stage of inflammation. BD has a variable clinical course with unpredictable exacerbations and remissions. The disease is associated with a high mortality rate, especially in young male patients, and large-vessel, neurological, gastrointestinal system and cardiac involvement are the most important causes of death. The principal aim of treatment should be to prevent irreversible organ damage, especially during the disease's early, active phase. A better understanding of the disease's pathogenesis has provided important information on its management. New drugs, especially apremilast and anti-TNF-α agents are effective in the management of BD and have the potential to improve patients' quality of life, prognosis and survival.

Patients characteristics in Behçet's Syndrome and their associations with major organ involvement: a single-centre experience of 2118 cases

Objectives: To evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS), and to define their associations with the presence of major organ involvement (MOI).Method: Medical records of 2118 patients (964 males, 1154 females) were analysed retrospectively. MOI was defined as the presence of at least one of vascular, eye, nervous, or gastrointestinal system involvement. Univariable and multivariable binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were applied to assess the factors that were potentially associated with MOI.Results: The mean ± sd age at diagnosis was 30.5 ± 9.4 years. Genital ulcer and joint involvement were more common in females (both p < 0.001), while MOI was more frequent in males (p < 0.001). Genital ulcer (p < 0.001) and vascular involvement (p = 0.006) were more common in patients with a younger age at diagnosis, while joint involvement was more common in older patients. A total of 1097 patients (51.8%) had at least one MOI, 322 (15.2%) at least two MOIs, and 48 (2.3%) at least three MOIs. Male gender, smoking history, and absence of genital ulcer were significantly associated with MOI in multivariable binary logistic regression. Multivariable ordinal regression analyses confirmed the association between MOI and male gender and smoking, but not the protective effect of genital ulcers. In both regression analyses, we found no significant effects of age, human leucocyte antigen-B51, skin involvement, or joint involvement on MOI.Conclusion: Male gender and positive smoking history have a significant influence on the presence of MOI in patients with BS.

Clinical phenotypes of Behçet's syndrome in a large cohort of Italian patients: focus on gender differences

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical phenotypes of Italian patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) according to gender. BS is a rare chronic multisystemic disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B51, gender, and ethnicity have been suggested as factors that could influence the clinical manifestations in BS patients. To date, few data assessing gender differences in Italian BS patients are available in the literature.Method: We retrospectively evaluated a group of Italian patients seen consecutively at our dedicated tertiary centre from 1 January 2000 to 31 May 2018. Demographics, clinical features during follow-up, and HLA status were obtained from a review of medical records and analysed in male and female groups.Results: In total, 285 [168 male (M) and 117 female (F)] patients were eligible for the study. Males had papulopustolar lesions, posterior uveitis, and deep venous thrombosis more often than females (83.3% M vs 46.2% F, 36.9% M vs 18.8% F, and 8.3% M vs 0.9% F, respectively; p < 0.01). Erythema nodosum (59.0% F vs 41.1% M; p < 0.01) and arthralgia (52.1% F vs 31.6% M; p < 0.01) were more frequent in females. No differences were found in HLA-B51 status (59.2% M vs 59.0% F).Conclusion: In our Italian cohort, BS was slightly more prevalent in males. Some gender-related differences were observed when comparing male and female cohorts. The data also confirmed that BS tends to be less aggressive in Italian female patients.

[Behçet's disease : Description and analysis of a French single-center retrospective study of 51 patients]

PURPOSE

To evaluate if the presence of uveitis in Behçet's disease (BD) is associated with a particular clinical phenotype and to analyze the prognostic impact of a missed diagnosis of BD at the time the uveitis is diagnosed.

MATERIEL AND METHODS

Ophthalmologic and systemic clinical features of 51 patients with BD were recorded retrospectively. We compared the clinical phenotype of patients with ocular manifestations with those without ocular manifestations. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the progression of their visual acuity: "decreased visual acuity" versus "stable or improved visual acuity."

RESULTS

In the group of patients with ocular involvement, there was a mean 2.3 systemic manifestations, vs. 3.2 in the group without ocular manifestations (P=0.004). When BD was diagnosed prior to the onset of uveitis, we counted fewer patients in the "decreased visual acuity" group in comparison with the patients who had no prior diagnosis of BD at the onset of the uveitis (91.3% in the "decreased visual acuity" group, P=0.04). The time before initiation of immunosuppressive treatment or a biological agent was shorter for these patients (4.4 vs. 39.3 months, P=0.007).

CONCLUSION

It appears that different phenotypes exist according to whether or not the BD patient has ocular involvement. Moreover, the visual prognosis is better if the uveitis occurs in patients who have already been diagnosed with BD, due to earlier initiation of immunosuppressive therapy.

Macular structural changes and factors affecting final visual acuity in patients with Behçet uveitis

PURPOSE

To evaluate macular structural changes during the active and remission periods in patients with Behçet uveitis and to further assess the factors affecting final visual acuity.

METHODS

Clinical records and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings of patients with Behçet uveitis were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine eyes of 35 patients were included in the study. SD-OCT findings in the active uveitis period included epiretinal membrane (ERM) in 26 (37.1%) eyes, ellipsoid zone (EZ) damage in 11 (15.7%), external limiting membrane (ELM) damage in 10 (14.3%), macular atrophy in 6 (8.6%), disruption of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in 11 (15.7%), a macular scar in 1 (1.4%), and loss of normal foveal contour appearance in 15 (21.4%). There was macular edema in 23 eyes (32.9%) in the active uveitis period (11 (15.7%) cystoid macular edema, 10 (14.3%) diffuse macular edema, and 7 (10.0%) serous retinal detachment). In the remission period, SD-OCT findings included ERM in 37 (52.9%) eyes, EZ damage in 14 (20%), ELM damage in 14 (20%), macular atrophy in 7 (10%), disruption of RPE in 14 (20.0%), macular scar in 1 (1.4%), and loss of normal foveal contour appearance in 17 (24.3%). The mean central macular thickness in the remission period was significantly lower than in the active uveitis period (p < 0.001). The presence of EZ damage and loss of normal foveal contour appearance in active uveitis period were the independent factors associated with final visual acuity (logMAR) (β = 0.736, p = 0.003; β = 0.682, p = 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Ellipsoid zone damage and loss of normal foveal contour appearance are important factors affecting visual acuity in Behçet uveitis.

Safety of systemic treatments for Behçet's syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of Behçet's syndrome (BS) is aimed at controlling all symptoms of such a complex disorder, ensuring a good quality of life and preventing life-threatening complications. A better understanding of the pathogenic role of different chemokines has improved our knowledge of BS and elicited a more specific use of therapies currently available, minimizing the burden of potential side-effects related to treatment.

AREAS COVERED

This work aims to provide a detailed overview of the safety profile for current therapies available in the treatment of BS, focusing on the main side-effects, toxicity and contraindications.

EXPERT OPINION

The greatest experience in the management of BS has been achieved with the employment of monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor antibodies which have been advocated for BS refractory manifestations. Moreover, interleukin-1 inhibitors have proven to be effective as well as safe, despite escalation of their dosage, especially to manage the most severe and difficult-to-treat ocular manifestations. However, general treatment of BS patients remains awkward as protean clinical features may respond differently to the same treatment or even worsen. Therefore, patients' safety for therapies used in BS promotes the implementation of precision medicine, which could help targeting accurately the pathogenetic mechanisms concealed behind specific clinical phenotypes.

Behçet's syndrome in Italy: a detailed retrospective analysis of 396 cases seen in 3 tertiary referral clinics

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a multisystemic disorder displaying a marked variability across different geographic areas. The main aim of this study was to analyze demographic and clinical features of a cohort of BS patients diagnosed in three tertiary referral centers in Italy and detect potential associations between the different manifestations. Medical records of 396 patients (218 females, 178 males) were retrospectively analyzed. Mean age at onset was 30.00 ± 18.75 years with a female-to-male ratio of 1.22:1. Mucocutaneous features were the most frequent starting manifestations of BS, followed by eye inflammation. Erythema nodosum (p = 0.007), arthritis/arthralgias (p = 0.0115), and central nervous system (CNS) signs (p = 0.014) were significantly over-represented in female patients, whereas male gender was associated with lower mean age at onset (p = 0.031), higher frequency of pseudofollicular lesions, and uveitis (p = 0.00134 and p < 0.0001 respectively), particularly for posterior segment involvement and panuveitis (p < 0.0001). Regarding the association between disease features, genital ulcers were negatively associated with uveitis (p < 0.0001) and vascular involvement (p < 0.0001). Other negative associations were detected between uveitis and gastrointestinal involvement (p = 0.008), pseudofolliculitis and CNS signs (p = 0.031), vascular involvement (p = 0.002) and erythema nodosum (p = 0.013). Logistic regression identified male gender and genital ulcers, respectively, with a higher (OR 2.199 [1.397-3.461], p < 0.001) and lower risk (OR 0.157 [0.090-0.273], p < 0.0001) of developing major organ involvement. Our evaluations found that the disease had started mostly in the second and third decade with most severe features in the male gender, and that patients presenting with mucocutaneous manifestations were less prone to develop major organ involvement.

Can decreased monocyte to HDL-cholesterol ratio be a marker indicating the anti-inflammatory effect of the colchicine in Behçet's disease? A preliminary study

Behçet's disease (BD) is an auto-inflammatory disease characterized by systemic vasculitis. Monocyte to HDL-cholesterol ratio (MHR), monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are used as inflammatory markers in many disorders. Colchicine decreases inflammation by suppressing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study aims to examine the effects of colchicine treatment on MHR, MLR, and NLR levels of the patients with BD. In this study, 80 patients, who were with mild/moderate/severe BD based on the Krause's Clinical Severity Scoring for BD and received colchicine treatment for at least 3 months, were evaluated retrospectively. The results of MHR, MLR, NLR, and other hematological parameters were assessed in three groups as follows: precolchicine treatment (Group 1), at the end of the 1st month of the treatment (Group 2), and at the end of the 3rd month of the treatment (Group 3). A total of 80 patients involving 39 (48.75%) females and 41 (51.25%) males, who were treated with colchicine due to the diagnosis of BD, were examined in this study. The mean age of the patients was 36.85 ± 10.659 (18-59) years. The findings showed that there was a statistically significant reduction in MHR, MLR, and NLR levels of postcolchicine treatment (P = .0004, P = .0007, and P = .0003, respectively). MHR level was 0.015 ± 0.005 in Group 1, 0.013 ± 0.004 in Group 2, 0.011 ± 0.004 in Group 3, while MLR level was 0.346 ± 0.131 in Group 1, 0.277 ± 0.098 in Group 2, 0.229 ± 0.08 in Group 3, and NLR level was 2.528 ± 0.999 in Group 1, 2.001 ± 0.672 in Group 2, 1.704 ± 0.619 in Group 3. A significant association was found between the MHR value of pretreatment and the clinical severity of BD (P = .04). The findings obtained in this study suggest that we can determine the anti-inflammatory impact of colchicine in BD using MHR, MLR, and NLR markers, and MHR can also be a potential index for assessing the disease activity of BD.

Thoracic Complications in Behçet's Disease: Imaging Findings

Behçet's disease (BD) causes vascular inflammation and necrosis in a wide range of organs and tissues. In the thorax, it may cause vascular complications, affecting the aorta, brachiocephalic arteries, bronchial arteries, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, capillaries, and mediastinal and thoracic inlet veins. In BD, chest radiograph is commonly used for the initial assessment of pulmonary symptoms and complications and for follow-up and establishment of the response to treatment. With the advancement of helical or multislice computed tomography (CT) technologies, such noninvasive imaging techniques have been employed for the diagnosis of vascular lesions, vascular complications, and pulmonary parenchymal manifestations of BD. CT scan (especially, CT angiography) has been used to determine the presence and severity of pulmonary complications without resorting to more invasive procedures, in conjunction with gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the subtraction of arterial phase images. These radiologic methods have characteristics that are complementary to each other in diagnosis of the thoracic complications in BD. 3D ultrashort echo time (UTE) MR imaging (MRI) could potentially yield superior image quality for pulmonary vessels and lung parenchyma when compared with breath-hold 3D MR angiography.

Changing pattern of clinical manifestations of Behçet's disease in Tunisia: comparison between two decades

Objectives

To investigate the changes over time in extraocular and ocular manifestations of Behçet’s disease (BD) in Tunisian patients.

Material and methods

Retrospective study of 246 patients divided into two groups: group 1 (147 patients examined from 1995 to 2005) and group 2 (99 patients examined from 2006 to 2017).

Results

Active or scarred genital ulcers observed by physician at presentation were significantly less frequent in group 2 (47.2% vs. 29.6%; p = 0.007), as were articular involvement (50.3% vs. 34.7%; p = 0.016) and erythema nodosum (18.4% vs. 8.1%; p = 0.024). One hundred-seven patients (43.5%) developed ocular manifestations during the 23-year study period. Intermediate uveitis was significantly more frequent in group 2 than in group 1 (11.7% vs. 28.4%; p = 0.003), and posterior uveitis less frequent in group 2 than in group 1 (34.2% vs. 19.7%; p = 0.016). Patients from group 2 were more likely to have macular edema (19.8% vs. 45.6%; p = 0.001). However, better visual prognosis, with a lower rate of legal blindness, was noted in group 2.

Conclusions

Changes over time included a decrease in the rate of articular involvement and cutaneous involvement. There was an increase in the rate of intermediate uveitis and a decrease in the rate of posterior uveitis over time. Despite an increase in the rate of macular edema, there was an improvement in visual prognosis, with less legal blindness over time.

Clinical features of Behcet's disease in Mongolia: a multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study is to investigate the clinical features of patients with Behcet's disease (BD) in Mongolia.

METHODS

Patients were identified and examined from six medical institutions in Mongolia from January 2015 to January 2019. BD was diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria for BD established by the International Study Group.

RESULTS

There were sixty-five patients (22 males and 43 females) recoded, the ratio of 1:1.95, with a marked female predominance. The age of disease onset was 22.2 ± 10.0 (mean ± SD), ranging from 11 to 66 years old. Oral aphthous ulcers, ocular lesions, skin lesions, genital ulcers, pathergy test positivity, articular lesions, superficial vasculitis, deep vein thrombosis, and epididymitis (male only) were observed in 100.0%, 63.1%, 81.5%, 89.2%, 7.7%, 86.2%, 32.3%, 4.6%, and 13.6% of the patients, respectively. The incidence of poor visual prognosis, ≤ 20/200, was significantly higher in males than in females (31.8 vs. 9.3%, incidence rate ratio 4.55 (95% CI 1.16-17.82), p < 0.05). The pathergy test was positive only in 7.7% of cases and only in female subjects. Nasal mucous ulcers were frequently seen in 55.4% of patients that may also be attributed to the environmental conditions of Mongolia. Headache was observed 76.9% of patients in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical manifestations of BD in Mongolia are presented for the first time. The visual prognosis was significantly worse in males. Nasal mucous membrane ulcers and recurrent headaches were frequent among Mongolian patients with BD. Key Points • First results of the examination of the clinical features of Behcet's disease patients in Mongolia. • Nasal ulcerations and recurrent headaches are frequent symptoms in Mongolia Behcet's disease patients, potentially attributed to climate. • Male Behcet's disease patients in Mongolia have a significantly worse prognosis for eye-related complications and vision.

Epidemiology, morbidity and mortality in Behçet’s disease: a cohort study using The Health Improvement Network (THIN)

Objectives

The epidemiology of Behçet’s disease (BD) has not been well characterized in the UK. Evidence on the risk of cardiovascular disease, thromboembolic disease and mortality in patients with BD compared with the general population is scarce.

Methods

We used a large UK primary care database to investigate the epidemiology of BD. A retrospective matched cohort study was used to assess the following outcomes: risk of cardiovascular, thromboembolic disease and mortality. Controls were selected at a 1:4 ratio (age and gender matched). Cox proportional hazard models were used to derive adjusted hazard ratios (aHR).

Results

The prevalence of BD was 14.61 (95% CI 13.35–15.88) per 100 000 population in 2017. A total of 1281 patients with BD were compared with 5124 age- and gender-matched controls. There was significantly increased risk of ischaemic heart disease [aHR 3.09 (1.28–7.44)], venous thrombosis [aHR 4.80 (2.42–9.54)] and mortality [aHR 1.40 (1.07–1.84)] in patients with BD compared with corresponding controls. Patients with BD were at higher risk of pulmonary embolism compared with corresponding controls at baseline [adjusted odds ratio 4.64 (2.66–8.09), P &lt; 0.0001]. The majority of patients with pulmonary embolism and a diagnosis of BD had pulmonary embolism preceding the diagnosis of BD, not after (87.5%; n = 28/32).

Conclusion

BD has a higher prevalence than previously thought. Physicians should be aware of the increased risk of developing ischaemic heart disease, stroke/transient ischaemic attack and deep venous thrombosis in patients with BD at an earlier age compared with the general population. Risk of embolism in patients with BD might vary across the disease course.

Behçet's disease in Iraq: new insights into the clinical and epidemiologic features in Middle-Euphrates region

Objectives: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem disease that is classified as a vasculitis. Recent evidence shows that BD is an inflammatory disease at the crossroad between autoinflammatory and autoimmune syndromes. The objective of this study was to determine BD awareness in Iraq, assess the demographic variables, and observe the initial and major clinical manifestations.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 105 patients, aged between 15 and 60 (mean 33.9) years, 57 males (54.3%) and 48 females (45.7%). All patients fulfilled the CIBD diagnostic criteria.Results: About 50% of patients were diagnosed by rheumatologists. Male to female ratio was 1.18:1, with evident female preponderance in patients diagnosed before 20 years old. The most frequent onset sign was oral aphthae. Ocular, genital, skin, neurologic and joint involvement followed in frequency.Conclusion: both doctors' and patients' awareness of BD is increased in Iraq. Early-onset BD tends to involve females more than males with a significant drop of male-to-female ratio as compared to previously reported in national and other Middle-Eastern studies. The clinical characteristics are comparable to those reported from other countries with higher neurologic involvement as compared to previous national reports.

Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture as presenting signs of Behçet disease: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Behçet disease (BD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by oral aphthosis, genital aphthosis, ocular lesions, and arthritis. However, other fatal complications are often misdiagnosed, which implies that the early diagnosis of the disease is important for a good prognosis.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 51-year-old man complained of hematemesis for 5 hours and syncope once.

DIAGNOSIS

BD as demonstrated by esophageal ulcer and aortic aneurysm rupture.

INTERVENTIONS

Surgeries were conducted to repair the thoracic aortic aneurysm, proton-pump inhibitor was used to reduce acid secretion, antibiotics were applied for anti-infective therapy, and immunosuppressor was administered to control the injuries of BD.

OUTCOMES

The patient was discharged and his medication dosage was reduced gradually until the minimum maintenance dose. In the follow-ups, the gastric ulcer and vascular aneurysm were not found.

CONCLUSION

We presented a rare case of BD with the concurrence of huge esophageal ulcer and thoracic aortic aneurysms rupture, which helped us to diagnose BD at the early stage, while confronting atypical manifestations.

Neuro-Behcet Disease Mimicking Lymphoma of the Brain and Coexisting with A Dural Arteriovenous Fistula: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Diverse clinical manifestations have characterized reports of central nervous system involvement in Behcet disease. There is a limited number of published case reports of neuro-Behcet disease mimicking brain tumor.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We present a rare case of neuro-Behcet disease exhibiting mixed systemic and neurological symptoms mimicking malignant lymphoma. Delayed presentation of oral aphthae and rapid improvement of symptoms with steroid treatment led to a diagnosis of neuro-Behcet disease without brain biopsy. The patient also underwent surgery for the resection of an arterio-venous fistula.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend management of neuro-Behcet disease based on perceived natural history risks, with the understanding that no data exist on this within patients population. A multidisciplinary team approach is always recommended because neuro-Behcet disease is an uncommon condition, especially in neurosurgical practice.

The Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Parenchymal Neuro-Behcet's Disease

To investigate the clinical features of parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease (p-NBD), we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1009 BD patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2000 to 2016. Forty-two patients (25 males and 17 females) with p-NBD and eighty-four age- and sex-matched BD patients without neurological involvement who were served as controls were enrolled. Neurological onset was concomitant with the onset of BD in six cases (14.3%). Pyramidal signs (50.0%) and headache (33.3%) were the most common manifestations. On MRI, the lesions were mainly in the midline structures and hyperintense in the T2-weighted image. The most common lesion was the brainstem (54.8%). Spinal cord involvement was observed in five cases, four of which with cervical cord involvement. Multifocal lesions were observed in 13 patients. Ocular involvement was more prevalent in p-NBD (35.7%) (P = 0.041, OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.03-5.44) compared with controls. All patients received corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, mainly cyclophosphamide (39/42). Six patients with severe/refractory condition received biological agents and achieved response measured by decreased Rankin score (P = 0.002). With a median follow-up of 28 months, 22 patients (61.1%) achieved clinical improvements, while 10 (27.8%) relapsed and 4 died (mortality rate 11.1%). p-NBD is a rare yet disabling and life-threatening complication of BD. Ocular involvement is a risk factor for p-NBD. Promptly aggressive treatment is essential for improving prognosis, and biological agents might be a promising approach for severe/refractory p-NBD.

Associations of Mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymorphisms With Behçet's Disease in the Korean Population

Objectives

This study aims to examine the possible associations of mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and Behçet's disease (BD) in a larger patient group.

Patients and methods

Whole blood or buffy coat was collected from 98 BD patients (31 males, 67 females; mean age 48±2.8 years; range 20 to 60 years) from four university hospitals located in the Chung-Cheong district of the Republic of Korea, and 196 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) (62 males, 134 females; mean age 46.91±12.90 years; range 20 to 68 years) from Konyang University Hospital. Twenty targeted mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) were genotyped and compared using the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence. Chi square and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze association of mitochondrial DNA SNPs with BD susceptibility and its clinical characteristics.

Results

There were no differences for m.248A>G, m.304C>A, m.709G>A, m.3010G>A, m.3970C>T, m.4883C>T, m.5178C>A, m.6392T>C, m.6962G>A, m.10310G>A, m.10609T>C, m.12406G>A, m.12882C>T, m.13928G>C, m.14668C>T, m.16129G>A, and m16304T> between patient and HC groups. However, m.16182A>C and m.16183A>C were more frequently observed in the patient group than the HC group (22 [22.4%] vs. 24 [12.2%], p=0.061 and 32 [32.7%] vs. 42 [21.4%], p=0.092) but without statistical significance. m.4883C>T and m.5178C>A were associated with posterior location of oral ulcers (p=0.025 for each) and m.16183A>C was associated with deep oral ulcers (p=0.001), while m.16189T>C was associated with deep oral ulcers and thrombosis (p=0.042, 0.048, respectively).

Conclusion

m.16182A>C and m.16183A>C may be associated with BD in the Korean population.

A Systematic Review of Neurocognitive Functioning in Behçet's Disease

Behçet's disease (BD) is a vascular, inflammatory multisystem disorder with neuro-Behçet's (NBD) diagnosed in a subset of patients with neurological manifestations. The objective of this review was to determine whether neurocognitive dysfunction is observed in BD, in which neurocognitive domains, and whether there are differences in rates of dysfunction observed between BD and NBD groups. Studies of any methodology were included that reported results from standardized neurocognitive assessment measures in participants with BD or NBD. Twelve group comparison studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review (totalling 284 BD and 157 NBD participants), as well as 17 case study/series papers (11 BD, 35 NBD). Issues with blinding, incomplete data reporting and selective reporting bias were found across the group and case study/series papers, as well as inadequate statistical adjustment for multiple comparisons in the group studies, and the lack of the use of appropriate norms or adjustment for premorbid ability in the case series/studies papers. These quality issues impacted on the conclusions that could be drawn from the current literature. Neurocognitive dysfunction was found in NBD compared to health controls (HC) in a higher proportion of results across studies, than in comparisons between BD and HC groups. The domains in which neurocognitive attenuation was most often reported were visual spatial ability, working memory and acquired knowledge, with more than 25% of these results showing significantly lower functioning in both the BD and NBD groups compared to HC. More than 25% of the processing speed and long-term memory encoding and retrieval results were also lower for the NBD group, compared to HC. Group comparisons between NBD and multiple sclerosis participants indicated few significant differences in neurocognitive test results. The majority of case study/series participants were found to have some degree of attenuated neurocognitive functioning, as defined by case study/series authors.

Clinical and Demographical Characteristics of Familial Behçet’s Disease (Southeast Marmara Region)

Background: Familial aggregation in Behçet’s disease (BD) has been reported in Turkish and Japanese populations. While the frequency of familial cases has been reported to be 2–5% worldwide, this rate reaches up to 15% in the Middle East. Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence of familial BD cases followed in the BD polyclinic and to compare their clinical and demographic characteristics to those observed in sporadic cases. Methods: Data related to BD patients who were followed between 1995 and 2014 were collected from computerized archive records and were assessed for detailed family histories. Only first-degree relatives (brother, sister, mother, father, children) were considered to be cases of familial BD. Clinical and demographic ­features were retrieved. Our BD polyclinic is located in the Southeast Marmara Region in Turkey. Results: BD was detected in 36 first-degree relatives of 33 patients out of 840 patients with BD. A total of 45 patients were diagnosed as familial BD;23 were female, and 22 were male. In our patients, the incidence of familial BD was determined to be 3.9%. The rates for HLA-B5 positivity, ocular involvement, genital ulcers, and erythema nodosum were determined to be 86.6% (26/30), 26.6%, 82.2%, and 60%, respectively. None of the patients had neurological involvement, but 2 had vascular involvement. Conclusion: This study may contribute to the epidemiological data of BD from Turkey.

Effectiveness and safety of interferon α2a as an add-on treatment for refractory Behçet's uveitis

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of interferon (IFN) α2a as an add-on treatment for refractory Behçet’s uveitis (BU).

Methods:

In this retrospective cohort study, 30 refractory BU patients who received IFNα2a treatment in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between February 2015 and June 2018 were consecutively included. IFNα2a was used mainly as an add-on treatment for BU patients who underwent relapse under corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppressive agents. The primary outcome was treatment success rate before and after initiation of IFNα2a. Changes in ocular relapse rates, disease activity, corticosteroid- and immunosuppressant-sparing effects, as well as side effects were secondary outcomes.

Results:

A total of 30 patients (27 males and 3 females) with a mean age of 30.5 ± 8.7 years were included. Twenty-one patients (70%) were treated with at least 2 immunosuppressive agents before the initiation of IFNα2a. Treatment success was achieved in 26 patients (86.7%), and the median uveitis relapse rate decreased from 7.3 (range 2–12) to 0 (range 0–6) per patient-year (p = 0.000002) during a mean follow-up of 21.7 ± 7.5 months, corticosteroids were lowered in 25 cases (83.3%) and completely withdrawn in four (13.3%). In addition, immunosuppressive agents were reduced in number and dosage in 22 (73.3%) and 29 patients (96.7%), respectively, and were completely withdrawn in 12 cases (40%). No severe adverse events were observed and serum autoantibodies remained negative during the treatment of IFNα2a.

Conclusion:

IFNα2a is effective and relatively safe in refractory BU, with significant steroid- and immunosuppressant-sparing effects.

Vascular suture line wrapping for Aortoiliac anastomoses following open surgical repair of Infrarenal Behçet's Aortoiliac aneurysms

Background

This study was conducted to evaluate our local experiences of adjunctive mechanical prosthetic wrapping for aortoiliac vascular anastomoses as a prophylactic measure following surgical repair of Behçet’s aortoiliac aneurysms. The goal of prosthetic wrapping to reinforce the vascular anastomoses by mechanical protection to reduce the bleeding complications, and consequently pseudoaneurysm formation. This was aided by the administration of pre- and postoperative immunosuppressive therapy as an adjuvant treatment.

Methods

A seven-year retrospective study was conducted between January 2006 and December 2012, retrieving data of patients with Behçet’s aortoiliac aneurysms. All patients underwent open surgical repair using a heparin-bonded synthetic Dacron® graft. Data for all patients were retrieved and analyzed for diagnostic procedures, graft selection, as well as, different methods of surgical repair. Graft-related complications such as anastomotic pseudoaneurysms, occlusion, and thrombosis were also reported.

Results

Sixteen patients were recruited in this study. There were  11 (69%) males and 5 (31%) females with the male to female ratio 2:1. The patients’ age ranged between 25 and 47 years with the mean of 36.4 ± 7.3. All Behçet’s aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms were repaired by the application of heparin-bonded Dacron® tube and bifurcated grafts. The anastomotic wrapping technique was performed for both the proximal and the distal vascular anastomoses. The technical success of aortoiliac aneurysm and wrapping techniques was achieved in 100% of patients. All patients were given pre- and postoperative systemic immunosuppressive therapy. No graft-related complications were reported except for only one anastomotic pseudoaneurysm that developed at one of the right iliac anastomoses, that developed within 24 months after follow up.

Conclusions

Mechanical prosthetic wrapping for vascular anastomoses in patients with Behçet’s aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms is a feasible, simple, and reliable technique with low morbidity and mortality. It was performed as a prophylactic measure to avoid the development of postoperative anastomotic pseudoaneurysms. It must be performed for all patients with Behçet’s arterial aneurysms whenever possible. Furthermore, the supplemental administration of pre- and postoperative systemic immunosuppressive therapy should be considered as an important factor for the prophylaxis and prevention of anastomotic pseudoaneurysms and other graft-related complications.

Work productivity in patients with Behçet disease and its association with disease activity and quality of life

Introduction

Behçet disease is a chronic vasculitis that generally affects young adults in the most productive period of their life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate patients’ work productivity and daily activity impairment, and their relationship with disease activity and quality of life.

Method

In this study, 55 patients with Behçet disease who are currently working and 50 healthy controls were included. To evaluate quality of life, a 36-item short form health survey was used. For the evaluation of Behçet disease activity and work productivity, the Behçet Disease Current Activity Form and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire were used, respectively. Quality of life and work productivity between patients and healthy controls were compared.

Results

Scores of all domains of the health survey were significantly worse in patients with Behçet disease (range, p = 0.006 to p < 0.001). The mean Work Productivity and Activity Impairment absenteeism, presenteeism and activity impairment scores were higher in patients with Behçet disease ( p = 0.005, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). There was a significant correlation between Behçet Disease Current Activity Form score and absenteeism ( r = 0.32, p = 0.016). Moreover, there was significant correlation between Work Productivity and Activity Impairment and most domains of the health survey (range, r = −0.27 to –0.64, range, p = 0.047 to p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results showed remarkable impairment in work productivity and health-related quality of life in Behçet disease. There is a strong correlation between work productivity and quality of life. To improve work productivity, more effective therapeutic approaches and improvements in working conditions should be provided.

Behcet's disease in Iran: Analysis of 7641 cases

Objective: To analyze Behcet's Disease (BD) in Iran, from 1975 to 2018, and compare to 35 large/small reports from other countries.Methods: Patients from all over Iran, when suspected, were sent to the BD Unit. The diagnosis was done by expert opinion. All data were recorded in the BD registry (updated in each follow-up). The data are given in percentage with 95% confidence Intervals.Results: The mean age at onset was 25.6 years. Standard deviation (SD) was 9.8. The mean disease duration was 11.7 years (SD: 8.9). Males were 55.8% (54.7-56.9), Females 44.2% (43.1-45.3), Oral Aphthosis (OA) 97.5% (97.1-97.9), genital aphthosis (GA) 64.4% (63.3-65.5), skin lesions 62.2% (61.1-63.3), ocular lesions 55.6% (54.5-56.7), Joint Manifestations 38.1% (37.0-39.2), Gastrointestinal 6.8% (6.2-7.4), Vascular 8.9% (8.3-9.5), neurological (central-peripheral) 3.9% (3.5-4.3), epididymitis 4.6% (4.1-5.1). Lab tests were positive pathergy test 50.4% (49.3-51.5), elevated ESR 51.1% (50.0-52.2), abnormal urinalysis 13.4% (12.6-14.2). The International Study Group (ISG, 1990) criteria and the International Criteria for Behcet's Disease (ICBD, 2014) had respectively a sensitivity of 76.2% (75.2-77.2) and 96.6% (96.2-97.0). The specificity was 99.3% (99.1-99.5) and 97.3% (96.9-97.7). The accuracy was 86.4% (85.8-87.0) and 96.9% (96.6-97.2).Conclusion: The most frequent manifestations were OA, GA, skin manifestations, and ocular manifestations.

Clinical and Radiographic Characteristics of Neuro-Behçet's Disease in South Korea

Background and Purpose

Neurological involvement in Behçet's disease [neuro-Behçet's disease (NBD)] is uncommon, but it is worth investigating since it can cause substantial disability. However, difficulties exist in understanding the clinical features of NBD due to regional variations and the lack of studies utilizing well-established diagnostic criteria. We therefore analyzed the clinical features of patients with NBD based on the recent international consensus recommendation.

Methods

We retrospectively searched electronic databases for patients with Behçet's disease (BD) between 2000 and 2017, and reviewed their medical records. Based on the recent international consensus recommendation, patients with definite or probable NBD were included.

Results

Of 9,817 patients with the diagnosis code for BD, 1,682 (17.1%) visited the neurology clinic and 110 (1.1%) were classified as NBD. Ninety-eight patients exhibited parenchymal NBD and 12 exhibited nonparenchymal NBD. Their age at the onset of NBD was 37.6±10.6 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1.24:1. Brainstem syndrome (43.9%) was the most common condition in the 98 patients with parenchymal NBD, followed by multifocal (32.7%) and spinal cord (12.2%) syndromes. 72.4% exhibited acute NBD and 27.6% exhibited a progressive disease course. Frequent manifestations included pyramidal signs (52.0%), headache (45.9%), dysarthria (42.9%), and fever (31.6%). A frequent pattern in brain MRI was an upper brainstem lesion extending to the thalamus and basal ganglia.

Conclusions

Approximately 1% of the patients with suspected BD exhibited NBD. Neurologists must understand the clinical characteristics of NBD in order to perform the differential diagnosis and management of these patients.

Clinical characteristics of avascular necrosis in patients with Behçet disease: a case series and literature review

Avascular necrosis (AVN), also known as osteonecrosis, is characterized by death of the osteocytes due to inadequate blood supply caused by various mechanisms. The hip is the most common affected joint followed by knee. Incidence of AVN in rheumatic diseases is variable and high corticosteroid (CS) therapy is a known major risk factor for development of AVN. Data on the AVN in Behçet disease (BD) are limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the clinical and treatment characteristics of BD patients with diagnosis of AVN. Retrospective medical records of 337 BD patients were reviewed. Nine BD patients with AVN were detected. The clinical data of these patients with AVN have been reviewed. All patients had MRI of the symptomatic joints compatible with AVN. All of the nine patients who were diagnosed with AVN were male. Median duration of BD was 7 years. Median time between diagnosis of BD and detection of AVN was 3 years (1-16 years). Multiple joints were involved in seven patients. Six patients had bilateral knee AVN. Six patients had vascular BD. The median time interval between initial CS dose and AVN development was 24 months (range = 2-100). The median highest daily CS dose was 64 mg/day (range = 32-80) and median cumulative CS dose prior to AVN was 18 g. All of patients had intravenous pulse steroids. CS treatment, smoking and vascular involvement may predispose to AVN in patients with BD. According to this cohort, AVN in BD frequently tended to be in the knee joint and bilateral.

The frequency of arthritis in Adamantiades-Behçet's disease in Greek patients

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Musculoskeletal manifestations are frequent in Adamantiades-Behçet's disease (ABD) but only represent non-specific clinical findings. They have not been included in the two commonly used sets of classification criteria. The occurrence of musculoskeletal manifestations at ABD onset may even delay or obscure the diagnosis; therefore, detailed knowledge of the different musculoskeletal manifestations is essential. Our objective was to describe musculoskeletal signs and their clinical course in Greek ABD patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, which included all patients with ABD, who had been examined in our Rheumatology Outpatient Division from 1995 to 2010. The study included 224 ABD patients (140 male, 84 female) that fulfilled the International Criteria for the diagnosis of BD. For statistical analysis, we have used chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Arthritis as a presenting sign was seen in 10.2% of our patients. During the follow-up period, the frequency of arthritis was 58.4%. Monoarthritis was found in 32.8% and 22.6% of male and female patients, respectively (ns). During the follow-up period, polyarthritis was only occasionally observed in male patients (2.14%). Oligoarthritis was assessed in 20.0% and 41.6% of male and female patients, respectively (P < 0.001), and was the only significantly different manifestation between sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Musculoskeletal manifestations are common in ABD both at presentation and during the disease course. The most frequent sign is mooarthritis. Oligoarthritis was the only significantly different articular manifestation between sexes (more common in women) in our study group.

Clinical phenotypes of Korean patients with Behcet disease according to gender, age at onset, and HLA-B51

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The clinical manifestations of Behcet disease (BD) have been reported to differ according to country, region, and race. Gender, onset age, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B51 have also been known as the factors that influence the clinical features of BD. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical phenotypes of Korean patients who visited the rheumatology clinic with BD with respect to gender, onset age, and HLA-B51.

METHODS

Total 193 Korean patients (129 females and 64 males) fulfilling the international criteria for BD were retrospectively assessed.

RESULTS

The mean age at disease onset and disease duration of the BD patients were 32.2 ± 11.1 and 14.2 ± 9.3 years, retrospectively. Females suffered more frequently from genital ulcers (90.7% vs. 75.0%, p < 0.01), peripheral arthritis (67.4% vs. 43.8%, p < 0.01), and inf lammatory low back pain (38.8% vs. 23.4%, p = 0.03) than males, while skin involvement was more frequent in males than in females (90.6% vs. 75.2%, p = 0.01). The patients with late onset of BD (> 40 years) suffered from neurologic involvement (15.9% vs. 4.2%, p = 0.007) more frequently than those with early onset of BD. The patients with HLA-B51 showed earlier onset of disease than without HLA-B51 (28.3 ± 11.4 years vs. 33.8±11.6 years, p = 0.02) and the neurologic and gastrointestinal involvements were more frequent in the patients without HLA-B51 than with HLA-B51 (17.2% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.02 and 20.7% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The clinical phenotypes in Korean patients with BD may be influenced by gender, onset age and HLA-B51.

Gastrointestinal Involvement in Behçet Disease

Behçet disease (BD) is a variable vessel vasculitis that can involve several organs and systems. Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement has an acute exacerbating course with ulcers, most commonly in the ileocolonic area. These ulcers can be large and deep, causing perforation and massive bleeding. This article highlights the current knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical findings, diagnosis, and management of GI involvement of BD, with emphasis on recent findings.

The ocular involvement did not accompany with the genital ulcer or the gastrointestinal symptoms at the early stage of Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify patients with high-probability of ocular involvement of Behçet's disease (BD).

METHODS

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare provided dataset of ongoing nationwide BD registration project. A patient who had confirmed BD and who was suspected to have BD was registered. We mainly analyzed newly registered patients who had the data for all demographic and diagnostic parameters regardless of fulfilment of any diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS

Among 3213 patients with confirmed or possible BD, 1382 (43.0%) were men and 1831 (57.0%) were women with a median age of 38 years (interquartile range (IQR) 30-49 years). The median duration between onset and registration was 0 year (IQR 0-3). A binomial multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that being female (odds ratio (OR) 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.75, p < .001), duration since onset (OR 1.33 per 10 years, 95% CI 1.18-1.51, p < .001), genital ulceration (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.23-0.34, p < .001), and gastrointestinal symptoms (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.30-0.44, p < .001) were related to the ocular lesion. Analyses based on data of 2800 patients who satisfied International criteria of BD, age-, sex-, duration-based subgroup analyses, analyses targeting iridocyclitis and retino-uveitis, and analysis including patients with missing data confirmed that the four factors were associated with the probability of eye involvement.

CONCLUSION

The ocular involvement did not accompany with genital ulcer or gastrointestinal symptoms at the early stage of BD.