Author(s): Tursen, Umit; Tiftik, E Naci; Unal, Sakir; Gunduz, Ozgur; Kaya, Tamer Irfan; Camdeviren, Handan; Ikizoglu, Guliz

We assessed endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with Behcet disease (BD; n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 20). Serum lipid, homocysteine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), and ultrasonographic flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured. Mean hsCRP, ESR, homocysteine, and ADMA were significantly higher in the BD group (P < .001 for all). Patients with active BD had higher serum levels of hsCRP, homocysteine, and ESR compared with those in remission (P < .001, P < .001, and P = .005, respectively). Flow-mediated dilatation was significantly lower in patients with BD than in controls (P = .001). Flow-mediated dilatation correlated negatively with BD duration and serum ADMA levels (P < .001, r = −.745 and P < .001, r = −.682); a positive correlation was seen between serum ADMA levels and BD duration (P < .001, r = .552). Only stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed BD duration to have a significant effect on FMD. Flow-mediated dilatation, in conjunction with markers of inflammation, may evaluate ED in patients with BD.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic, relapsing inflammatory disorder with an obscure etiology and pathogenesis. Diagnosis depends on the clinician's ability to identify a group of nonspecific mucocutaneous lesions, which also manifest in a number of other diseases. In recent years, there has been an increase in the studies focusing on the histopathological aspects of Behçet's disease diagnostic mucocutaneous lesions. Their results emphasize the value of histopathology and direct immunofluorescence (DIF) in the differential diagnosis of Behçet's disease.