In an effort to clarify the association of BD with antibody to kinectin, it is essential to measure antibody to kinectin in larger patient populations including both BD, probable BD and important autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as SLE, SjS, rheumatoid arthritis etc., as well as those diseases not easily differentiated from BD, such as recurrent aphthous oral ulcer, Reiter's syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases etc. On the other hand, further analysis of the association of anti-kinectin antibody with different manifestations or disease 'subtypes' of BD is another important project. This evidence concerns the gene KTN1 and rheumatoid arthritis.