title: Anticardiolipin antibodies and retinal vascular complications in Behçet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intravascular thrombosis is a well-recognized feature of Behçet's disease (BD). In this study, the existence of a connection between serum anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and retinal vascular complications in BD is investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum aCL antibody levels were quantified in 31 patients with BD, all of whom fulfilled the major criteria of the disease. Patients were evaluated in terms of retinal vascular complications. Serum aCL antibody levels were determined through the ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed with the chi-squared test and the Fisher exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 12 patients with high aCL antibody levels, retinal vascular thrombosis was detected in 5 and retinal vasculitis was present in 8. However, there was no statistically significant relation between these complications and serum aCL antibody elevation (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on this series of 31 patients with BD, there does not seem to be a significant correlation between retinal vascular complications and serum aCL antibody levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara Numune Hospital, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yarangümeli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Küçükkuyumcu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kural
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin