Behcet's Disease Is Associated with Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Korean Population-Based Study

Background: No epidemiologic study has previously reported on the associations among Behcet's disease (BD) and autoimmune disorders. Objectives: To investigate the association between BD and the autoimmune disorders multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Medical records of patients newly diagnosed with BD (n = 6,214) in 2012-2017 were analyzed using data entered into a large, nationwide database from 2007 to 2017. An age- and sex-matched control population of individuals without BD was sampled at a ratio of controls:BD cases of 3:1 (n = 18,642). Both cohorts were analyzed for the presence of multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis within a minimum of 5 years prior to their BD diagnosis. Results: Patients with BD had significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for multiple sclerosis (8.85 [95% CI 2.36-33.17]) and rheumatoid arthritis (4.62 [95% CI 3.35-6.35]) than the control group after adjustment for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. BD patients aged <40 years had a higher proportion of rheumatoid arthritis (OR 23.91, 95% CI 5.50-103.9) than older patients (OR 3.96, 95% CI 2.83-5.54). Conclusion: Our results suggest that BD is associated with multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. (c) 2021 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel

Automated summary

The study found that there is an association between Behcet's disease and multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, with patients with Behcet's disease having significantly higher odds of developing multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis compared to the control group.