Background/Purpose: β2-microglobulin (β2M) is a low-molecular weight protein, that is a constant component of human leukocyte antigen (HLA), which is secreted from all nucleated cells. Serum β2M levels increase in lymphoproliferative and autoimmune diseases related to the activities of B lymphocytes (1). The number of B cells secreting immunoglobulins increased in the active phase of Behçet’s disease (2). The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relation between B2M and Behcet’s Disease (BD) clinical disease activity.
Methods:
Seventy eight patients with BD were included in our study. Disease activity was evaluated with “BD Current Activity Form” (BDCAF) which offers an easy-to-complete, valid and reliable method of assessing disease activity in BD. With this activity form, headache, mouth ulceration, genital ulceration, erythema, skin pustules, arthralgia, arthritis, new involvements in gastrointestinal system (GIS), eye, nervous system, major vessels and patient’-physician’s assessments of the overall disease activity scores were analyzed. The levels of serum B2M of the patients were also measured. The independent samples t test and Pearson’s correlation test were used to analyze the data.
Results:
In the comparison of serum B2M levels of the patients with or without the components of BDCAF, no significant relation could be found between headache, mouth ulceration, genital ulceration, erythema nodosum, superficial thrombophlebitis, skin pustules, arthralgia, arthritis, new involvements in gastrointestinal system (GIS), nervous system, major vessels and patient’-physician’s overall perception of disease activity. However, we found significantly higher levels of B2M in patients with uveitis than without eye involvement (p=0,032). Although each component of BDCAF did not show an association with B2M levels except from eye involvement, total BDCAF score was also found to be correlated with B2M levels (p˂0,05).
Conclusion:
Presence of a new developed eye involvement may be associated with higher levels B2M. Correlation between total disease activity score and B2M levels may contribute the overall disease activity perception in BD.
Disclosure:
M. A. Melikoglu,
None;
M. Melikoglu,
None.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/serum-beta-2-microglobulin-and-its-association-with-disease-activity-in-patients-with-behcets-disease/