Thrombophilic factors are not the leading cause of thrombosis in Behçet's disease.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Venous and arterial thromboses occur in patients with Behçet's disease and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Studies on a possible association between the occurrence of thrombosis and thrombophilia in patients with this disease have been controversial.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the prevalence of the most common thrombophilias and dyslipidaemia in patients with Behçet's disease with and without thrombosis.

METHODS:

Blood samples from 107 patients with Behçet's disease who had or did not have thrombosis were analysed for factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A polymorphism, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism, factor VIII level, homocysteine and C reactive protein concentrations, dyslipidaemia, and plasma glucosylceramide.

RESULTS:

There was no difference between patients with and without thrombosis in the prevalence of prothrombin G20210A polymorphism, factor V Leiden, homozygous MTHFR C677T, or plasma concentrations of homocysteine, C reactive protein, or glucosylceramide. In contrast, patients with thrombosis were found to have significantly higher mean levels of factor VIII, total cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, and apolipoproteins B-100, C-II, and C-III than those without thrombosis. Multistepwise logistic regression analysis showed that triglyceride concentration was the best marker associated with thrombosis (p = 0.008), with an estimated odds ratio of 1.58 (95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 2.30) for a difference of 40 mg/dl.

CONCLUSIONS:

Thrombophilia does not seem to play a major role in the tendency to thrombosis in Behçet's disease. However, dyslipidaemia, predominantly hypertriglyceridaemia, might be a risk factor.

• Authors: M Leiba, U Seligsohn, Y Sidi, D Harats, B A Sela, J H Griffin, A Livneh, N Rosenberg, I Gelernter, H Gur, M Ehrenfeld
• Journal: Annals of the rheumatic diseases (Ann Rheum Dis) Vol. 63 Issue 11 Pg. 1445-9 (Nov 2004) ISSN: 0003-4967 [Print] England
• PMID: 15479893 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Apolipoproteins
• Biomarkers
• Cholesterol, VLDL
• Triglycerides
• Factor VIII
• Cholesterol

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Apolipoproteins (analysis)
• Behcet Syndrome (blood, complications)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Child
• Cholesterol (blood)
• Cholesterol, VLDL (blood)
• Factor VIII (analysis)
• Female
• Humans
• Logistic Models
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Polymorphism, Genetic
• Prevalence
• Thrombophilia (blood, complications)
• Thrombosis (blood, etiology)
• Triglycerides (blood)