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Purpose : To describe posterior segment findings of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and compare them with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods : A total of 11 patients with primary APS, 29 secondary APS patients, and 29 SLE patients without APS were included. All patients were referred from rheumatology clinic for detailed ophthalmologic examination. When patients had suspicious lesions, fundus fluorescein angiography was performed ( n = 56). Results : The most common retinal examination finding was peripheral venous tortuosity (17.5%) in APS, which was not observed in SLE group. Common FFA findings were pigment epithelial window defects (10%) and vascular filling delays (7.5%) in APS, which were observed in 27.5% and 3.5% of patients with SLE consecutively. Conclusion : Venous tortuosity was significantly more in patients with APS. There was no significant difference for other ocular findings between the groups. Ocular complication rate was lower compared to earlier reports, probably due to better management of disease activity with current treatment protocols.

Objectives: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been associated with the pathogenesis of various autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Th17-related immunity in an innate immunity-dominated vasculitis, namely Behcet's disease (BD)., Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 37 patients (age: 38.5 ± 9.8 years) with BD, and 25 healthy controls (HC) (age: 39.1 ± 9.3 years), were cultured in Th17-inducing conditions (IL-6, Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), IL-1β, and IL-23) for 6 days. Cultured cells were stained with CD4, CD8, CD3, TCR gamma/delta, CD19, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IL-17 antibodies to determine the intracellular cytokine secretion by flow cytometry., Results: IL-17 expression by CD8+ and γδ+ T cells was higher in BD compared to HC (p = 0.004, p = 0.003, respectively). No differences were observed between the groups in the IL-17 production by B cells. Under Th17-inducing conditions, production of IFN-γ by CD4+, CD8+, and γδ+ T cells was also higher in BD compared to HC (p < 0.05 in all)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that under Th17-stimulating conditions, T cells express both IL-17 and IFN-γ in BD. More prominent IL-17 and IFN-γ production by all lymphocyte subsets in BD might be associated with the increased innate responses, early tissue neutrophil infiltrations and late adaptive immunity in BD.