Authors: Meral Kayıkçıoğlu Kenan Aksu Can Hasdemir Gokhan Keser Nevbahar Turgan Hakan Kültürsay Eker Doganavsargil
Publish Date: 2005/03/01
Volume: 26, Issue: 4, Pages: 304-308
Abstract
Behçet’s disease BD is a systemic vasculitis capable of involving all types of vessels Endothelial dysfunction ED has been previously documented in BD The aim of the study was to see whether ED was more prominent in Behçet’s patients with vascular involvement VI than in those without The study population consisted of 65 patients with BD 27 of whom had VI and 30 healthy controls Highresolution ultrasound was used to measure endotheliumdependent vasodilatation EDVD of brachial artery Overall regardless of VI EDVD was significantly impaired in patients with BD compared with controls 114±63 vs 204±91P=0001 however EDVD was similar in BD patients with and without VI 97±63 vs 126±61 P=007 Patients with BD had significantlyhigher plasma homocysteine levels than controls 13±6 μmol/L vs 9±3 μmol/L P=0001 Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the subgroup with VI than in those without 15±7 μmol/L vs 12±4 μmol/L P=003 however we found no positive/significant correlation between plasma homocysteine levels and EDVD ED is a constant feature of BD regardless of VI Etiology of ED in BD is probably multifactorial including high homocysteine levels As both ED and elevated homocysteine levels may represent an early atherosclerotic process a more structured approach to risk factor assessment is needed in BD
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