HIGH-FREQUENCY OF SISTER-CHROMATID EXCHANGES IN LYMPHOCYTES OF THE PATIENTS WITH BEHCETS-DISEASE

Behcet's disease (ED) (OMIM 109650) is an immunogenetically based mult isystem disease, characterized by iridocyclitis, arthritis, orogenital ulcerations and pustular skin lesions. Viral and autoimmune etiologie s have been suggested and HLA-BS has been found to predominate in ED. The disease is most seen in Turkey and Japan. Although familial cases have been reported, the mode of inheritance is not clear. To determine the genetic instability in ED, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) analys is has been performed on peripheral lymphocytes in 23 patients and 20 healthy controls. We found significantly higher SCE rates in the patie nt group (p < 0.0001). Our results may indicate that genetic impairmen t and generic instability may play an important part in the etiology o f ED. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.