title: mRNA Expression Level of Interleukin Genes in the Determining Phases of Behçet's Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behçet's disease (BD), first described in 1937 as a triadic complex of symptoms (oral aphthae, genital ulcers, and hypopyon uveitis), is a chronic, relapsing, multisystemic idiopathic inflammatory disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the usability of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of cytokine genes for following up patients with BD and also assess polymorphisms in these genes as to how they influence mRNA expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated the role of the IL1A -889(C/T), IL1B -511(C/T), and IL2 -330(T/G) polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms and the expression levels of the genes by real-time PCR in BD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of the IL2 -330 G allele was found to be significantly higher in patients with BD. A decreased level of IL1A gene expression was found in the patient group with clinically active BD compared to controls. Increased IL1B gene expression levels werefound in patient groups with active, inactive, or ocular BD (p<0.001). IL2 gene expression level manifested no significant change compared to controls in the patient group with clinically active BD; it increased in the groups with clinically inactive BD or ocular involvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL1A, IL1B, and IL2 gene expression, and IL2 promoter polymorphisms, may be valuable markers for predicting risk in the development of BD. We believe that the results reveal the importance of achieving a better understanding of BD and the prospects of developing future therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Betul Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evereklioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevda Yesim
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozkul
keywords: Behçet's disease; Cytokine; Inflammation; Promoter polymorphism; mRNA expression