title: Enhanced complement consumption in neuromyelitis optica and Behçet's disease patients.
abstract: The complement system is essential in the pathogenesis of inflammatory central nervous system disorders. To investigate the involvement of complement pathways in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), levels of breakdown products for classical (C4d), alternative (FBb) and common (sC5b-9) pathways were measured in the sera of 28 NMO and control patients (30 Behçet's disease (BD), 29 multiple sclerosis (MS)) and 31 healthy controls by ELISA. Classical and/or alternative pathway consumption was enhanced in NMO and BD patients as compared to MS patients and healthy controls. Our results suggest that NBD and NMO differ from MS by the predominance of complement system involvement.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey. drerdem@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tüzün
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kürtüncü
authors.forename: Recai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Türkoğlu
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Içöz
authors.forename: Münevver
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pehlivan
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Birişik
authors.forename: Mefküre
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eraksoy
authors.forename: Gulsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akman-Demir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult