HLA B*51 Disease Association LabCorp

Behcet Disease (BD) is a rare, chronic, multisystem disease caused by vasculitis of blood vessels throughout the body. The disease course is marked by recurrent ulcers of the oral and genital regions, often with severe ocular inflammation that may lead to visual impairment or blindness. This disease is found most often in individuals that carry the HLA B*51 allele of the major histocompatibily complex (MHC). HLA B*51 is the predominant risk factor for BD in all populations studied, however not all BD patients carry the B*51 allele. The disease is prevalent in countries in the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and East Asia and in individuals of Middle Eastern, Far Eastern and Mediterranean decent.