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Helicobacter pylori and Behçet's disease
O Avci1, E Ellidokuz, I Simşek
1Department of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, Turkey. avcio@cs.med.deu.edu.tr
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 13, 1999
Summary
Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection may play a role in Behçet
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Behçet's disease (BD) etiology research focuses on heat shock proteins (HSP), particularly HSP 60.
- Helicobacter pylori (HP), a gastric pathogen, expresses HSP 60 and can cause gastrointestinal ulcers, similar to BD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if HP is linked to the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease.
- To investigate the impact of HP eradication on clinical symptoms of BD.
Main Methods:
- Compared HP seroprevalence in BD patients versus controls.
- Administered 1-week HP eradication therapy to 20 BD patients with diagnosed HP infection.
- Evaluated clinical manifestations, including oral and genital ulcers, before and after eradication therapy in 13 patients.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in HP seroprevalence between BD patients and controls.
- Significant reduction in the number and size of oral and genital ulcers in BD patients post-HP eradication.
- Regression of various clinical manifestations observed after successful HP eradication.
Conclusions:
- Helicobacter pylori may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease.
- Eradication of HP can lead to clinical improvement in BD patients.