Circulating neutrophils in Behçet disease is resistant for apoptotic cell death in the remission phase of uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Behçet disease (BD) is manifested by recurrent acute iridocyclitis with hypopyon in the active phase, which regresses spontaneously. Hypopyon consists of inflammatory cells infiltrating the eye, with polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) as the main component. The present study was conducted to investigate the apoptosis property of PMNs in BD patients with uveitis.

METHODS: PMNs were purified from peripheral blood cells of BD patients with uveitis in the active or remission phase and were cultured for 12 hours. In some cultures, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), antagonistic anti-TNFalpha antibody, agonistic anti-Fas antibody, or Fas:Fc fusion protein was added. At the end of cultures, apoptotic cells were evaluated by Annexin V expression using flow cytometry.

RESULTS: Spontaneous apoptosis of PMNs showed lower levels in the remission phase of BD-related uveitis compared with the active phase or healthy controls. The lower level of PMN apoptosis in the remission phase of uveitis in BD remained even by stimulation with LPS, anti-TNFalpha antibody, or Fas:Fc fusion protein, which was abolished in the presence of agonistic anti-Fas antibody.

CONCLUSIONS: In BD patients, the apoptosis of PMNs was reduced in the remission phase of uveitis and restored in the active phase, which arose from the apoptotic cell death in part via Fas-Fas ligand interaction.