LYMPHOCYTE ABNORMALITIES IN BEHCETS SYNDROME

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (1) , 175-185
Abstract
To test indirectly the hypothesis that Behcet''s syndrome is caused by a virus, lymphocytes from 86 patients were evaluated for the following 2 parameters consistent with persistent virus infection: chromosomal abnormalities and decreased ability of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV) to grow in lymphocyte cultures stimulated by PHA [phytohemagglutinin]. HSV grew in lymphocytes cultured from all normal donors; replication was impaired in lymphocytes from 37% of the patients with Behcet''s syndrome. This figure is increased to 57% if patients receiving steroids or cytotoxic drugs were excluded. Lymphocytes were scored as chromosomally abnormal from 16 of the 38 patients examined, compared with only 1 of 17 normal controls. There was damage to specific chromosomes in 4 patients. The frequency with which chromosomal abnormalities were detected was significantly related to failure to replicate HSV and inversely related to concomitant steroid treatment. The findings are consistent with a viral etiology for Behcet''s syndrome but other explanations are not excluded.