Yuki Nanke

By Yuki Nanke and Shigeru Kotake

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a polysymptomatic and recurrent systemic vasculitis with a chronic course and unknown cause. Joint involvement in BD is common. Arthritis and arthralgia in BD are known to be the most common rheumatologic findings. Arthropathy in BD is monoarthritis or asymmetrical oligoarthritis affecting larger joints, and it is usually acute or recurrent with a self-limiting course. Bone deformity and destruction are rare. Autoantibodies are typically negative, and the presence of anti-CCP antibodies at high titers favors a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although joint involvement is clinically well recognized, few histologic studies have been reported. In this chapter, we focused on the synovitis and synovial histopathology in BD.

Part of the book: Behcet's Disease

By Yuki Nanke and Shigeru Kotake

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a polysymptomatic and recurrent systemic vasculitis with a chronic course and unknown cause. BD is now categorized as both autoimmune diseases and auto inflammatory diseases. The pathogenesis of BD is still unclear; however, BD has been thought as a Th1-related disease, with elevating levels of Th1 cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2. Some investigators found that Th17-associated cytokines were elevated in patients with BD; thus, IL-17/IL-23 pathway and Th17 cells may have crucial roles in the pathogenesis of BD. In this chapter, we review the pathogenic role of Th17 cells in BD.

Part of the book: Different Aspects of Behçet's Disease