Taurine Supplementation in Behçet's Disease
Taurine is not recommended as a supplement for patients with Behçet's disease, as there is no evidence supporting its use and it does not address the underlying inflammatory pathology that requires proven immunosuppressive therapy.
Why Taurine Is Not Appropriate
The established treatment guidelines for Behçet's disease focus exclusively on evidence-based immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies, with no mention of taurine or similar supplements. 1, 2
The core principle of Behçet's disease management is preventing irreversible organ damage through aggressive immunosuppression, not through nutritional supplementation. 2, 3
What Patients With Behçet's Disease Actually Need
For Mucocutaneous Manifestations
- Colchicine (1-2 mg/day) is the first-line treatment for mild mucocutaneous lesions and erythema nodosum 2
- Topical corticosteroids for isolated oral and genital ulcers 1
- For resistant cases: azathioprine, interferon-alpha, or TNF-alpha antagonists 2
For Joint Involvement
- Colchicine is the initial treatment of choice for arthritis in Behçet's disease 2
For Severe Organ Involvement
- Any posterior segment eye disease requires azathioprine (2.5 mg/kg/day) plus systemic corticosteroids - corticosteroids should never be used alone 2, 4
- Severe eye disease requires escalation to infliximab or cyclosporine A 2
- Vascular involvement requires immunosuppressants (corticosteroids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide) 1, 5
- Neurological involvement requires high-dose corticosteroids with immunosuppressives 1, 4
Critical Clinical Warnings
Young male patients with early disease onset have the worst prognosis and require aggressive early immunosuppression with azathioprine. 2, 6
Up to 20% of untreated patients with ocular involvement can progress to blindness, making proven immunosuppressive therapy absolutely essential. 6
Major organ involvement (ocular, vascular, neurological, gastrointestinal) is associated with severe morbidity and mortality if untreated. 6, 7
The Bottom Line
Behçet's disease is a serious systemic vasculitis requiring evidence-based immunosuppressive therapy tailored to organ involvement. 1, 3 Taurine has no established role in this disease and should not distract from implementing appropriate immunosuppressive treatment. 2 The focus must be on preventing irreversible organ damage through proven therapies, not unproven supplements. 3