Behcet's Syndrome with Antibody to a Corneal Antigen

Abstract

A patient with Behcet's syndrome has been followed for more than 6 years. He had aphthous ulcers, thrombophlebitis, multiple lesions of pyoderma increasingly in the genital area as he entered puberty, and uveitis. When he developed anterior uveitis manifested by iritis, his serum was tested for antibodies against a highly purified bovine corneal protein that shares antigenic determinants with human cornea. His high antibody levels to this protein suggest that iritis and anterior uveitis are manifestations of autoimmune phenomena that are a part of Behcet's syndrome.