Polymorphonuclear leucocyte function in Behçet's disease.

Abstract

Polymorphonuclear leucocyte function was investigated in 19 patients with active Behçet's disease. Spontaneous free leucocyte migration was found to be significantly reduced, yet after stimulation the leucocyte's chemotactic activity was considerably increase (p less than 0-05) when compared to control leucocytes. Control leucocytes migrated more rapidly when incubated in serum taken from patients with Behçet's disease (p less than 0-005). The enhanced chemotactic activity in Bechçet's disease appears to be due to both serum and intrinsic leucocyte factors. Spontaneous nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was found to be normal, although after stimulation leucocyte nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was lower than in the control group (P less than 0-025), as was leucocyte oxygen utilisation. It is suggested that the hyperreactive cellular inflammatory response that characterises Behçet's disease may be due to increased chemotactic activity and minor alterations in functional metabolic activity of leucocytes.

Immunopathogenesis of Behçet's Disease

“…These include a high erythrocytic sedementation rate, a positive C-creative protein, and leukocytosis (57).…”

Excessive function of peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with behcet's disease and from hla‐b51 transgenic mice

“…After centrifugation, the neutrophils were resuspended in PBS, and an additional 15-minute incubation at 37°C was performed in the presence of 1 pglml FMLP (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) or 100 nglml phorbol myristate acetate (PMA; Wako Pure Chemicals, Osaka, Japan). Cells generating superoxide in their cytoplasm became fluorescent from the conversion of 2…”

“…Aseptic neutrophi1 infiltration in the lesions is one of the most striking pathologic features, and various in vitro tests of neutrophil function in patients with BehGet's disease have been shown to be abnormal (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). This suggests that the excessive neutrophil function plays a vital role in the development and clinical course of the disease.…”

Chemotaxis in yersinia arthritis HLA‐B27 positive neutrophils show high stimulated motility in vitro

“…Low neutrophi1 chemotaxis in vitro has been demonstrated in several diseases (for review, see reference 18), whereas there are very few reports on high chemotaxis associated with any disease. In Behqet's disease-a triad of relapsing iritis and mouth and genital ulcers-PMNs show high chemotaxis in vitro (19), which may contribute to the lesions in vivo (20). Thus, despite the beneficial function of PMNs in the defense of the body, they may at the same time be harmful to the host.…”