Prevalences of hepatitis A, B, C and E viruses in Behçet's disease

• Published in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England) England), 1999-12, Vol.38 (12), p.1279-1281
• Main Authors: AKSU, K, KABASAKAL, Y, SAYMER, A, KESER, G, OKSEL, F, BILGIC, A, GÜMÜSDIS, G, DOGANAVSARGIL, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Behcet Syndrome - complications; Behcet Syndrome - virology; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Hepatitis A - epidemiology; Hepatitis A - etiology; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B - etiology; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - etiology; Hepatitis E - epidemiology; Hepatitis E - etiology; Hepatitis Viruses - immunology; Hepatitis Viruses - isolation & purification; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - complications; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - etiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Serologic Tests
• ISSN: 1462-0324; 1462-0332
• DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/38.12.1279

To determine whether Behçet's disease (BD), being a systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology, is associated with hepatitis viruses (HAV, HBV, HCV and HEV). In addition to 124 patients [male:female (M/F): 73/51], all fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of the International Study Group for BD (1991), 14 patients with systemic necrotizing vasculitis (M/F: 7/7), 47 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (M/F: 36/11) and 51 healthy controls (M/F: 22/29) were also included in this study. Serological markers of four different types of hepatitis (anti-HAV IgM, total anti-HAV, HBsAg, anti-HBs, total anti-HBc, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HCV and anti-HEV) were studied in all cases. There was no difference between the groups with respect to HAV, HCV and HEV serologies. Anti-HBs positivity was observed less frequently in BD compared with healthy controls and systemic vasculitis (P