ACUTE PHASE PROTEINS AND C9 IN PATIENTS WITH BEHCETS SYNDROME AND APHTHOUS ULCERS

Abstract

Estimation of the concentration of C9 [the 9th complement component], C-reactive protein (CRP) and .alpha.1-antitrypsin in 40 sera from patients with Behcet''s syndrome and recurrent oral ulcers showed significantly increased amounts of C9 and CRP in Behcet''s syndrome. The concentration C9 was also significantly raised in recurrent oral ulceration, though to a lesser extent than in Behcet''s syndrome. The assay C9 and CRP might be useful in the differential diagnosis of Behcet''s syndrome, especially from recurrent oral ulcers. During epithelial inflammation in recurrent oral ulcers, some of the acute phase proteins are apparently increased, and in some patients these may modulate the immunological mechanism in such a way as to induce a transition from focal oral ulceration to the multifocal Behcet''s syndrome.