BEHCETS-DISEASE HLA-B5 IMMUNOGENETIC MARK ER

Twenty-three patients with Behcet's disease (BD) meeting the criteria of the international group for classification and diagnosis of BD (17 men and 6 women) were typed for HLA antigens class 1. The patients gro up was multinational, of them 19 were Caucasoids and 4 Mongoloids. It was shown that HLA B5 in Caucasoids occurred more frequently vs normal controls (73.7 % and 15.5 %, respectively). Under the correction of t he antigens number up to 21, the differences continued to be statistic ally high. Characteristic for B5 antigen was a high relative risk and close association with the disease. In antigen group B5+B35 the relati ve risk and association power grew still higher. The B5 positive group statistically more frequently had superficial thrombophlebitis and le ss frequently gastrointestinal involvement. It is concluded that class 1 HLA antigens, B5 in particular, are closely associated with BD in C IS countries.