title: Ocular Behçet's disease is less complicated with allergic disorders. A nationwide survey in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder polarised to the Th1 and Th17 immune systems. Allergic diseases are polarised to the Th2 immune system. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of allergic diseases in patients who have BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved a large-scale interview survey of Japanese patients with BD at 21 institutes of ophthalmology; 353 patients (255 males and 98 females) were recruited for this study. We analysed the history of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), bronchial asthma (BA) and drug/food allergies (FA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral aphthous ulcers, ocular lesions, skin lesions, genital ulcers, arthritis, neurological lesions, intestinal lesions, deep vein thrombosis and epididymitis were reported in 95.8%, 98.6%, 72.5%, 44.8%, 13.9%, 6.8%, 6.2%, 3.7% and 1.4% of the patients, respectively. It was also reported that 73 patients (20.7%) had histories of allergic diseases: AD (5 cases, 1.4%), AR (36 cases, 10.2%), BA (19 cases, 5.4%) and FA (30 cases, 8.5%). This percentage was significantly lower than in a survey that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare conducted for healthy population (47.6%) (odds ratio = 0.29, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.38, p=4.9×10-22). Frequencies of posterior/pan-uveitis, relatively severe ocular findings, and visual prognosis were not affected by a history of allergic diseases in BD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with BD had fewer complications from allergic diseases than did the entire population of Japan.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Horie
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Sapporo, and Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Nobuyoshi
authors: N
authors: Kitaichi
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Kuniaki
authors: K
authors: Hijioka
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Koh-Hei
authors: KH
authors: Sonoda
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University, Japan.
authors: Yoshitsugu
authors: Y
authors: Saishin
authors: Department of Ophthalmology Tokyo Medical University, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Kezuka
authors: Department of Ophthalmology Tokyo Medical University, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Goto
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Yoshinocho Eye Clinic, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Nakamura
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Kimoto
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Machiko
authors: M
authors: Shimakawa
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: Mihori
authors: M
authors: Kita
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Sunao
authors: S
authors: Sugita
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Manabu
authors: M
authors: Mochizuki
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Hori
authors: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Mitsuhiro
authors: M
authors: Iwata
authors: Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Sciences, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Shoji
authors: Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Fukuda
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Toshikatsu
authors: T
authors: Kaburaki
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Numaga
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan.
authors: Hidetoshi
authors: H
authors: Kawashima
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan.
authors: Astuki
authors: A
authors: Fukushima
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Joko
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan.
authors: Nanae
authors: N
authors: Takai
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Ozawa
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Meguro
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Nobuhisa
authors: N
authors: Mizuki
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Kenichi
authors: K
authors: Namba
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Ishida
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Shigeaki
authors: S
authors: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult