title: Systemic interferon alpha 2b treatment in Behçet's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the efficacy of systemic interferon alpha 2b (IFN alpha 2b) treatment in the mucocutaneous and joint symptoms of Behçet's syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 48-week open, self-controlled trial was conducted in 3 phases. After the pretreatment phase of 16 weeks, 20 patients (8 men, 12 women; mean age 37 +/- 7 years SD) were treated with IFN-alpha 2b at a dose of 5 million units 3 times a week for 6 weeks followed by 5 million units once a week for 10 weeks. The subsequent 16 weeks not taking the medication was the posttreatment phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with IFN-alpha 2b significantly reduced the mean number of arthritis attacks (F = 3.48; p < 0.05), their mean duration (F = 3.77; p < 0.05), and the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (F = 6.66; p < 0.001). The mean number of mucocutaneous lesions also showed a decrease, but this was not statistically significant. Except for the duration of arthritis, the mean number and frequency of all symptoms tended to return to pretreatment levels in the posttreatment phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study shows that systemic IFN may be effective in the treatment of arthritis of Behçet's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, University of Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hamuryudan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moral
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yurdakul
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mat
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tüzün
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozyazgan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Direskeneli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akoglu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins