Periodontal findings and systemic antibody responses to oral microorganisms in Behcet's disease

Background: Behcet's disease is a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology, affecting predominantly the oral mucosa, skin, and eyes. Recurrent and pai nful episodes of oral ulcerations interfere with regular oral hygiene leadi ng to rapid bacterial plaque accumulation. The aims of this study were to e valuate the periodontal status of patients with Behcet's disease and determ ine serum antibody responses to selected oral microorganisms, including maj or periodontopathogens in these patients. Methods: Thirty-three patients with Behcet's disease and 15 healthy subject s were included in the study. Plaque, sulcular bleeding, periodontal index scores, probing depths, and total number of teeth were recorded. Serum IgG antibody levels to a panel of 13 oral microorganisms were determined. Results: Significantly higher values for each of the clinical measures were observed in patients with Behcet's disease compared to healthy subjects (P <0.0001). Antibody levels to selected members of plaque, including Actinom yces viscosus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus o ralis, Eikenella corrodens, Campylobacter rectus, and Prevotella intermedia were significantly lower in patients with Behcet's disease than in control s (P <0.001-0.05). In contrast, these patients exhibited significantly elev ated antibody levels to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4 compared to controls (P <0.01). Conclusions: Our data indicate that the patients with Behcet's disease gene rally exhibit clinical findings of established periodontal disease. Decreas ed antibody responses to early colonizers of both supra- and subgingival pl aque were observed along with the elevation in antibody levels to A. actino mycetemcomitans. These results suggest that the bacterial plaque ecology an d/or immune responses to these microorganisms may be affected in Behcet's d isease which could lead to changes in the expression of periodontal disease .