Bcl-2 expression in skin pathergy reaction of Behçet's disease.
BACKGROUND
Bcl-2 expression in leukocytes plays an important role in autoimmune and inflammatory disease.


OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we investigated the Bcl-2 expression in the skin pathergy reaction (SPR) of Behçet's disease (BD).


METHODS
The skin pathergy test (SPT) was performed on 23 patients with BD and 7 healthy controls. After 48 h, SPT specimens were taken by punch biopsy. Control samples were also obtained from the normal skin of 7 patients with BD and 11 patients with BD-unrelated leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Biopsy specimens were evaluated by routine histopathological examination and immunohistochemical Bcl-2 staining.


RESULTS
The SPT was clinically positive in 9 of 23 patients and histopathologically positive in 13 but never in the healthy controls. The majority of leukocytes in 12 of 13 histopathologically positive specimens were stained with Bcl-2. Only 3 BD-unrelated leukocytoclastic vasculitis samples showed Bcl-2 positivity. No Bcl-2 staining was found in healthy controls and normal skin samples of patients with BD.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data may suggest a role of Bcl-2-mediated inflammation in the pathogenesis of the SPR in BD.
Sullu
Y
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Medical School, Samsun, Turkey. ysulla@yahoo.com
Senturk
N
N
Yildiz
L
L
Sullu
Y D
YD
Turanli
A Y
AY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2