Autoimmune Diseases (Jan 2012)
Aberrant Activation of Heat Shock Protein 60/65 Reactive T Cells in Patients with Behcet’s Disease
Abstract
Behcet’s disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disease and is characterized by recurrent attacks on eyes, brain, skin, and gut. There is evidence that skewed T-cell responses contributed to its pathophysiology in patients with BD. We found that heat shock proteins (HSPs) reactive T cells were prevalent in patients with BD. Here, we summarize current findings on HSP reactive T cells and their contribution to the pathogenesis in patients with BD.