Behcet in Israel

Estimates as for the numbers of Behcet patients in Israel vary, but it is safe to assume there are between 500-1000 diagnosed cases. Most diagnosed patients in Israel are male, and they also experience more severe symptoms. Childhood onset disease is not uncommon.

The disease is more prevalent in the Arab sector and Non-Ashkenazi Jews, although it does occur in Ashkenazi Jews as well. There is a strong association of the disease in Israeli and Palestinian patients with Human Leukocyte Antigen HLA-B5, mostly HLA-B51, and sometimes HLA B-52. In Israeli Arabs there is also a strong association with MIC-A6. Familial occurance is high among all Israeli BD patients, particularly HLA B-5 possitive, and is demonstrated by the fact that many have family members with recurrent oral ulcers, who are almost invariably HLA B-51 or B-52 positive themselves. The B51-positive patient group also has enhanced neutrophilic chemotaxis, and a lack of immunoglobulin deposition in the dermo-epidermal junction (B-52 was not looked at in this study).

There are no serious differences between symptoms among patients from different ethnic groups in Israel, with the following exceptions:

1. Arabs have more severe eye disease (more posterior uveitis) then their Jewish counterparts;

2. Of the Jewish group, the disease is most severe in those originating from North-Africa, with more eye disease (particularly anterior uveitis), as well as more artheritis, overall vascular disease, deep vein thrombosis, and neuro-Behcet.

The application of factor analysis revealed possible associations between distinct types of skin lesions, or venous thrombosis, and other disease manifestations of Behcet, some of which were sex, age at onset, or HLA-related. In addition, Factor V (FV) Leiden may be an additional risk factor for the development of ocular disease and, in particular, retinal vaso-occlusion, and it may contribute to the poor visual outcome in these patients.
The presence of a positive pathergy reaction is not associated with an increased risk for any specific manifestations of the disease, and does not seem to predict a more severe disease course. However, it is present in very nearly all Israeli patients during flare.

More information about Behcet in Israel and research related to it, can be found in the pages below.

Articles can be translated into Hebrew for a small fee, which would help cover the costs of running this site.

Prevalence of Behcet's disease in an Arab community in Israel.
Jaber L, Milo G, Halpern GJ, Krause I, Weinberger A.
Bridge to Peace Community Paediatric Centre, Taibe and Schneider Children's Medical Centre, Israel.
PMID: 11874845 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Identification of alpha-tropomyosin as a target self-antigen in Behcet's syndrome.
Mor F, Weinberger A, Cohen IR.
Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Eur J Immunol 2002 Feb;32(2):356-65
PMID: 11807775 [PubMed - in process]

Association of the MIC-A gene and HLA-B51 with Behcet's disease in Arabs and non-Ashkenazi Jews in Israel.
Cohen R, Metzger S, Nahir M, Chajek-Shaul T.
Department of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2002 Feb;61(2):157-60.
PMID: 11796403 [PubMed - in process]

Allelic distribution of HLA-B*5 in HLA-B5-positive Israeli patients with Behcet's disease.
Paul M, Klein T, Krause I, Molad Y, Narinsky R, Weinberger A.
Department of Medicine B, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Tissue Antigens 2001 Sep;58(3):185-6

PMID: 11703827 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Behcet's disease in Israel: the influence of ethnic origin on disease expression and severity.
Krause I, Mader R, Sulkes J, Paul M, Uziel Y, Adawi M, Weinberger A.
Department of Medicine E, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.

J Rheumatol. 2001 May;28(5):1033-6.
PMID: 11361184 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

A single mutated MEFV allele in Israeli patients suffering from familial Mediterranean fever and Behcet's disease (FMF-BD).
Livneh A, Aksentijevich I, Langevitz P, Torosyan Y, G-Shoham N, Shinar Y, Pras E, Zaks N, Padeh S, Kastner DL, Pras M.
Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.

Eur J Hum Genet. 2001 Mar;9(3):191-6.
PMID: 11313758 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Close association of HLA-B52 and HLA-B44 antigens in Israeli Arab adolescents with recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Jaber L, Weinberger A, Klein T, Yaniv I, Mukamel M.
The Bridge to Peace Community Pediatric Center, Taibe, Israel.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001 Feb;127(2):184-7.
PMID: 11177036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Behcet's disease in Familial Mediterranean fever: characterization of the association between the two diseases.
Schwartz T, Langevitz P, Zemer D, Gazit E, Pras M, Livneh A.
Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2000 Apr;29(5):286-95.
PMID: 10805353 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Pathergy reaction in Behcet's disease: lack of correlation with mucocutaneous manifestations and systemic disease expression.
Krause I, Molad Y, Mitrani M, Weinberger A.
Rheumatology Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.

Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2000 Jan-Feb;18(1):71-4.
PMID: 10728447 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Factor V Leiden mutation is associated with ocular involvement in Behcet disease.
Verity DH, Vaughan RW, Madanat W, Kondeatis E, Zureikat H, Fayyad F, Kanawati CA, Ayesh I, Stanford MR, Wallace GR.
United Medical and Dental Schools of St Thomas' and Guy's Hospitals, London, England.

Am J Ophthalmol. 1999 Sep;128(3):352-6.
PMID: 10511031 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Disease patterns of patients with Behcet's disease demonstrated by factor analysis.
Krause I, Leibovici L, Guedj D, Molad Y, Uziel Y, Weinberger A.
Rheumatology Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tiqva, Israel.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1999 May-Jun;17(3):347-50.
PMID: 10410270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Juvenile Behcet's disease in Israel. The Pediatric Rheumatology Study Group of Israel.
Uziel Y, Brik R, Padeh S, Barash J, Mukamel M, Harel L, Press J, Tauber T, Rakover Y, Wolach B.
Department of Pediatrics, Meir General Hospital, Sapir Medical Center, Israel.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1998 Jul-Aug;16(4):502-5.
PMID: 9706437 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Soluble adhesion molecules in Behcet's disease.
Verity DH, Wallace GR, Seed PT, Kanawati CA, Ayesh I, Holland-Gladwish J, Stanford MR.
Department of Ocular Immunology, Rayne Institute, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 1998 Jun;6(2):81-92.
PMID: 9689638 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Increased prevalence of joint manifestations in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)
Livneh A, Zaks N, Katz J, Langevitz P, Shemer J, Pras M.
Department of Medicine F and Oral Medicine Clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1996 Jul-Aug;14(4):407-12.
PMID: 8871840 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Close association of HLA-B51 and B52 in Israeli patients with Behcet's syndrome.
Arber N, Klein T, Meiner Z, Pras E, Weinberger A.
Department of Medicine D, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Ann Rheum Dis. 1991 Jun;50(6):351-3.
PMID: 2059078 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Sensitivity and specificity of pathergy test results in Israeli patients with Behcet's disease.
Friedman-Birnbaum R, Bergman R, Aizen E.
Department of Dermatology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Cutis. 1990 Apr;45(4):261-4.
PMID: 2183974 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

HLA-B51 may serve as an immunogenetic marker for a subgroup of patients with Behcet's syndrome.
Chajek-Shaul T, Pisanty S, Knobler H, Matzner Y, Glick M, Ron N, Rosenman E, Brautbar C.
Department of Internal Medicine B, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Am J Med. 1987 Oct;83(4):666-72.
PMID: 3314492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

A genetic study of Behcet disease in Israel.
Brautbar C, Chajek T, Ben-Tuvia S, Lamm L, Cohen T.
Tissue Antigens. 1978 Feb;11(2):113-20.
PMID: 644568 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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