Role of Regulatory B Cells in Behçet's Disease

Behçet's disease is a chronic multi-organ vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthae, skin lesions, widespread thrombosis and aneurysmal formation, and serious involvement of the eyes and central nervous system.

The innate and adaptive immune cells integrate in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease. Interestingly, the gene expression analysis of Behçet's disease patients and healthy controls revealed the modulation of a range of genes involved in biological processes in Behçet's disease such as inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, blood coagulation, vascular damage, signalling pathways, and immune responses, particularly, in innate immune cells, Th17 cells and B cells. Yet, the regulatory role of B cells in Behçet's disease has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to identify the proportions of total B lymphocytes and their regulatory subset in different Behçet's disease phenotypes and therapies attempting to unravel their function in Behcet Disease. The role of B cells and regulatory B cells in the cardiovascular system affection in Behcet Disease was studied in more details.

Inclusion criteria

• Thirty five adult patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of Behcet Disease, and 39 age and sex matched healthy subjects as control

Exclusion criteria

• Patients younger than 18 years old and those who were affected by other rheumatic disease other than Behcet Disease.