Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
32nd European Paediatric Rheumatology Congress, Helsinki, Finlandiya, 17 - 20 Eylül 2025, ss.169-170, (Özet Bildiri)
Introduction: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder with an incompletely understood pathogenesis. Ocular involvement occurs in 25–75% of patients and, if left untreated, may lead to blindness. The most common ocular manifestation is uveitis, typically presenting as bilateral, recurrent, and non-granulomatous panuveitis. In 10-year retrospective records of patients with Behçet’s uveitis, approximately one-third had severe visual impairment at onset, with notable delays in diagnosis. Early and appropriate initiation of immunomodulatory treatment is essential. If uveitis development can be predicted, treatment may be initiated earlier to prevent complications. However, no reliable biomarker currently exists to identify patients at risk. Objectives: To identify potential protein biomarkers predictive of uveitis risk by analyzing proteomic alterations in tear samples of Behçet’s patients with and without uveitis. Methods: Fourteen Behçet’s patients (7 with uveitis, 7 without), followed in rheumatology clinics, were included. Tear samples were collected using Schirmer’s test paper and stored at –80°C. Tear proteins were extracted and separated using Bradford and SDS-PAGE methods, followed by comparative analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were excised from gels and analyzed via LC-MS/MS. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted using the STRING database. Results: Proteomic analysis revealed 61 proteins with differential expression between the groups: 36 were upregulated and 25 downregulated in uveitis samples. Among the upregulated proteins, mucin-1, guanine nucleotide-binding protein, histone H1, and interalpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain showed the highest increases (up to 1000-fold). Other upregulated proteins exhibited 2–6.4-fold increases. Among the downregulated proteins, ganglioside GM2 activator, immunoglobulin lambda, and V-type proton ATPase subunit G1 demonstrated >1000-fold decreases, while the remainder had approximately 4-fold decreases. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that these proteins are mainly involved in peptidase regulation, endopeptidase inhibition, enzyme inhibition, and signaling pathways. Conclusion: Although it remains uncertain whether tear protein expression changes reflect disease pathogenesis or chronic inflammation, the identification of tear-based biomarkers may provide insights into uveitis development in Behçet’s disease. These findings may support earlier diagnosis and contribute to the development of targeted therapies.