RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Antibodies to endothelial cells in Behçet's disease: cell-binding heterogeneity and association with clinical activity.
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 265
OP 267
DO 10.1136/ard.53.4.265
VO 53
IS 4
A1 R Cervera
A1 M Navarro
A1 A López-Soto
A1 M C Cid
A1 J Font
A1 J Esparza
A1 J C Reverter
A1 J Monteagudo
A1 M Ingelmo
A1 A Urbano-Márquez
YR 1994
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/53/4/265.abstract
AB OBJECTIVES--To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of antibodies to endothelial cells (aEC) from large vessel and from microvasculature in a group of patients with Behçet's disease (BD) to determine the relationship of these antibodies with clinical and laboratory features of the disease. METHODS--Thirty patients with BD were prospectively and consecutively studied. The aEC were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using endothelial cells derived from human umbilical vein (large vessel) as well as from retroperitoneal adipose tissue (microvasculature). RESULTS--Fifteen patients (50%) had aEC, either directed to large vessel [8(26%) patients] or microvascular [13(43%) patients] endothelial cells. The percentage of active patients was significantly higher in the aEC-positive group [12(80%) patients] compared with the aEC-negative group [5(33%) patients] (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--Patients with BD have a high prevalence of aEC when microvascular endothelial cells are used in the assay. These antibodies seem to be a marker of disease activity in this condition, previously considered as negative for autoantibodies.