ISSN: 1300-0330
Dil: Türkçe, İngilizce
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES |
Plasma Endothelin-1 Levels In Patients With Behçet’s Disease: Association With Disease Activity
Aylin TÜREL ERMERTCAN, MD,a Serap ÖZTÜRKCAN, MD,a Mustafa Turhan ŞA-HİN, MD,a Ece ONUR, MD,b Bekir Sami UYANIK, MDb
Departments of aDermatology, bBiochemistry, Medical School of Celal Bayar University, MANİSA
Objective: Behçet’s disease is a multisystemic vasculitic disease associated with a vascular pathologic process. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be responsible for these events. Endothelin-1, the most potent vasoconstructor peptide, is one of the substance derived from endothelium. In this study it was aimed to detect plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with Behçet’s disease and its relation with disease activity and systemic involvements.
Material and Methods: The study group included 46 patients with Behçet’s disease (21 active, 25 inactive) and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Plasma endothelin-1 levels were measured by using Endothelin-1 ELISA kit in all patients and healthy controls. The results of active patients were compared with inactive patients and control subjects.
Results: Mean plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with active Behçet’s disease (0.55±0.062 pg/ml) were significantly higher than those in inactive patients (0.42±0.092 pg/ml) and healthy controls (0.41±0.036 pg/ml) (p<0.05). The difference in plasma endothelin-1 levels between patients with inactive Behçet’s disease and control subjects was not significant (p>0.05). The elevation of endothelin-1 levels did not correlate with the disease duration, age and gender. Plasma endothelin-1 levels did not correlate with ocular, articular, dermatologic, or the other systemic involvements (p>0.05). Mean plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with vasculitis were found to be higher compared with nonvasculitic patients, although the difference was statistically insignificant (0.54±0.13 pg/ml, 0.48±0.098 pg/ml).
Conclusion: Increased endothelin-1 production may play an important role in the pathogenesis of Behçet’s disease, especially in the active stage of the disease.Keywords: Behçet’s disease; endothelin-1Turkiye Klinikleri J Dermatol 2007, 17:236-241
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