Th1 polarization of the immune response in uveitis in Behçet's disease.
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that abnormalities in the balance of T-helper cells type 1/2 (Th1/Th2) may account for the pathophysiology of human autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this study was to define the role of the Th1/Th2 balance in the pathogenesis of uveitis in Behçet's disease (BD).


METHODS
From February 2003 to August 2005, we studied 31 patients with active BD. Of these patients, 21 (12 female, 9 male; mean age 35.5 [SD 10] years) presented with acute uveitis, and 10 (7 female, 3 male; mean age 34 [SD 11] years) presented with inflammatory arthritis but no prior uveitis attack. The control group consisted of 10 (7 female, 3 male; mean age 34.7 [SD 8] years) age-matched, healthy individuals. CD4+ CD26+ and CD4+ CD30+ cell surface expression of the peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes was evaluated by analytic flow cytometry in order to determine percentages of Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subsets.


RESULTS
The mean percentage of CD4+ CD26+ and CD4+ CD30+ cells was 26.27 (SD 6.18) % and 2.56 (SD 0.82) %, 17.42 (SD 5.90) % and 2.86 (SD 0.72) %, and 14.99 (SD 3.96) % and 3.11 (SD 1.25) % in BD with active uveitis, BD with inflammatory arthritis but no prior uveitis attack, and control groups, respectively. T-helper 1 (Th1) cell percentage was significantly higher in the BD with active uveitis group than the BD with arthritis and no prior uveitis attack group (p = 0.001). With respect to the percentage of CD30+ Th2 cells, there was no statistical difference between the 2 BD groups (p = 0.529) or among the 3 groups (p = 0.375).


CONCLUSIONS
Th1 lymphocyte dominance in peripheral circulating blood may play a role in the pathogenesis of BD uveitis.
Ilhan
Fulya
F
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elaziğ, Turkey.
Demir
Tamer
T
Türkçüoğlu
Peykan
P
Turgut
Burak
B
Demir
Nesrin
N
Gödekmerdan
Ahmet
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000276:immunology*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D008297:Male; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD