Relation of Anti-Annexin V Antibodies to Disease Manifestations and Activity in Behҫet’s Disease Patients

Aim of the work: To assess the role of serum anti-annexin V antibodies in Behcet's disease (BD) patients in relation to disease manifestations and activity. Aim of the work: Patients and methods Aim of the work: 65 BD patients and 30 matching controls were included. Disease activity was estimated by the Behcet Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF). Serum IgG anti-annexin V antibodies titre was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Aim of the work: Results Aim of the work: The patients' age was 36.1 +/- 8.5 years and disease duration 7.2 +/- 5.2 years; 56 males and 9 females. The serum anti-annexin V antibodies level was significantly increased in the BD patients (50.9 +/- 12.9 AU/ml) compared to the control (7.3 +/- 3.1 AU/ml) (p < 0.0001). Serum anti-annexin V antibodies were significantly increased in BD patients with ocular involvement, skin lesions and neuro-Behcet's compared to those without (p = 0.02, p = 0.004 and p = 0.002 respectively). Levels were comparable between those with uveitis, vitrous cells, retinal vasculitis, conjunctivitis and hypopyon and those without (p = 0.12, p = 0.22, p = 0.9, p = 0.67, p = 0.79 and p = 0.46 respectively). While those with xerophthalmia had a significantly higher level of anti-annexin V antibodies (60.6 +/- 5.7 AU/ml) compared to those without (50.2 +/- 13.1 AU/ml) (p = 0.02). The anti-annexin V antibodies significantly correlated with the BDCAF (r = 0.41, p = 0.001) and age (r = 0.43, p < 0.0001) but not with the disease duration (r = 0.22, p = 0.08), steroid dose (r = -0.21, p = 0.09) or laboratory investigations. On regression analysis, only the age would predict the anti-annexin V antibodies level (p = 0.02) while the BDCAF would not (p = 0.33). Aim of the work: Conclusion Aim of the work: There is a role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of BD with special relation to the ocular, cutaneous and neurological manifestations and a possible link to the disease activity. (C) 2017 Egyptian Society of Rheumatic Diseases. Publishing services provided by Elsevier B. V.