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ORIGINAL PAPER
A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) level among risk factors of ocular involvement in patients with Behçet’s disease
1
Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Minia University, Egypt
2
Department of Ophthalmology, Minia University, Egypt
3
Department of Clinical Pathology, Minia University, Egypt
Submission date: 2024-07-14
Final revision date: 2024-08-14
Acceptance date: 2024-10-04
Online publication date: 2024-11-06
Corresponding author
Rasha M. Ghaleb
Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Minia University, Egypt Aswan Agricultural Road, 61519 Minia, Egypt
Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Minia University, Egypt Aswan Agricultural Road, 61519 Minia, Egypt
Reumatologia 2024;62(5):314-321
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
Cytokines, Inflammatory mediators and adaptive immunity in rheumatic diseasesVasculitis - aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Ocular involvement is quite common in Behçet’s disease (BD) and may cause crucial functional complications. Even though the mechanisms of BD remain unclear, advances in genetic and immunological fields have improved our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of BD ocular involvement. Little is known about the expression of a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in terms of ocular involvement in BD. The objective of this study was to determine whether serum APRIL concentrations are associated with ocular involvement in patients with BD.
Material and methods:
The study included 60 patients diagnosed with BD matched by age and sex to 30 healthy individuals. Every patient underwent a clinical evaluation, and the Behçet’s Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) was utilized to quantify disease activity. All patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment. Serum APRIL was assessed for patients as well as controls.
Results:
One or more ocular manifestations were found in 42 BD patients (70%), while 18 patients (30%) had no ocular involvement. The mean level of serum APRIL levels was markedly elevated in BD patients, particularly those with ocular involvement, compared to both BD patients without ocular involvement and healthy individuals. A statistically significant association was determined between high APRIL concentration and development of uveitis, cataract, and hypopyon. Cutaneous lesions and arthritis were strong independent predictors for ocular involvement in BD patients.
Conclusions:
Overexpression of APRIL in patients with BD, particularly in terms of uveitis, cataract, and hypopyon, lends credence to the idea that B cell activating factors have an important function in BD. These findings may indicate that serum APRIL concentrations can differentiate a clinical subgroup of BD patients with ocular disease. As a result, finding a new therapeutic strategy targeting the APRIL pathway might be beneficial in BD patients suffering from ocular involvement.
Ocular involvement is quite common in Behçet’s disease (BD) and may cause crucial functional complications. Even though the mechanisms of BD remain unclear, advances in genetic and immunological fields have improved our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of BD ocular involvement. Little is known about the expression of a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in terms of ocular involvement in BD. The objective of this study was to determine whether serum APRIL concentrations are associated with ocular involvement in patients with BD.
Material and methods:
The study included 60 patients diagnosed with BD matched by age and sex to 30 healthy individuals. Every patient underwent a clinical evaluation, and the Behçet’s Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) was utilized to quantify disease activity. All patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment. Serum APRIL was assessed for patients as well as controls.
Results:
One or more ocular manifestations were found in 42 BD patients (70%), while 18 patients (30%) had no ocular involvement. The mean level of serum APRIL levels was markedly elevated in BD patients, particularly those with ocular involvement, compared to both BD patients without ocular involvement and healthy individuals. A statistically significant association was determined between high APRIL concentration and development of uveitis, cataract, and hypopyon. Cutaneous lesions and arthritis were strong independent predictors for ocular involvement in BD patients.
Conclusions:
Overexpression of APRIL in patients with BD, particularly in terms of uveitis, cataract, and hypopyon, lends credence to the idea that B cell activating factors have an important function in BD. These findings may indicate that serum APRIL concentrations can differentiate a clinical subgroup of BD patients with ocular disease. As a result, finding a new therapeutic strategy targeting the APRIL pathway might be beneficial in BD patients suffering from ocular involvement.
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Copyright: © Narodowy Instytut Geriatrii, Reumatologii i Rehabilitacji w Warszawie. This is an Open Access journal, all articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
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