BEHCET DISEASE IN TUNISIA: DEMOGRAPHIC, CLINICAL AND GENETIC FEATURES

Background: There is a wide variation in the prevalence and clinical features of Behçet disease (BD) among ethnic and geographical groups. Few exhaustive studies were done in North African countries in this topic.Objectives: To determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of BD in Tunisian patientsMethods: 178 Patients with BD (International Study Group criteria) and seen in the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Hospital La Rabta in Tunisia, from 1990 to 2003, were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic, clinical, and genetic data were recorded and analyzed using SPSS 10.0.Results: Our patients were 133 male and 45 female (sex ratio M/F was 2.95). The mean age at the onset of the disease was 28.7 years. Oral and genital ulcers (GU) were seen in 100% and 85% respectively. The most other common clinical features of BD were ocular involvement in 51% [Uveitis (48%) and/or retinal vasculitis (32.6%)], arthritis (45%), venous thrombosis (37.5%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (32.5%). Only 1.7% had gastrointestinal lesions.In regard to gender influence, DVT and pseudofolliculitis were significantly more frequent in men (p = 0.005, 0.002 respectively), whereas arthritis and erythema nodosum were significantly more frequent in women (p= 0.001, <0.001). Frequency of uveitis was significantly higher in patients without DVT (p = 0.008). GU was significantly more frequent in patients with uveitis (p <0.001). HLA B51 and MICA6 were observed in 50% and 82.5% respectively. Comparison with 43 ethnically matched control showed that subjects HLA-B51 was more closely associated to BD than A6 MICA-TM allele in Tunisian population.Conclusion: Our series has some particular aspects especially the high frequency of DVT and neuropsychiatric involvement, and the rare occurrence of gastrointestinal lesions. Our results confirm the ethnic and geographic variation of BD expression.Citation: Ann Rheum Dis, volume 64, supplement III, year 2005, page 544Session: Miscellaneous rheumatic diseases