Evaluation of relationship between disease activity and sTREM-1, VEGF-B, VEGF gene expression levels in behcet patients

PURPOSE: In this review we aimed to invastigate VEGF-B, VEGF gene expressions and sTREM-1 levels the association with the activation of Behcet?s disease.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical features of patients who applied to rheumatology clinic and were diagnosed with BD according to International Working Group?s criteria were investigated. 30 healthy volunteers and 30 patients in the active period according to EBDCAF scoring were studied. VEGF-B, VEGF gene expressions and sTREM-1 levels were studied in all patients and control group in the Laboratory of Biochemistry, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine.FINDINGS: VEGF-B, VEGF gene expressions and sTREM-1 levels were higher than control group?s levels. But, only VEGF gene expression was statistically significant (p=0,008). Behcet?s disease patients with oral aphtha, genital ulcer, eye, joint, vasculer, skin and neurological involvement were analyzed seperately as subgroups. We find that VEGF gene expression level of Behcet?s disease patients with joint involvement (arthritis/artralgia) and also VEGF-B and VEGF gene expression of Behcet?s disease with vasculer involvement (DVT/thrombophlebitis) were signicantly higher (p=0,035, p=0,021). However each subgroup was analyzed with control groups. We determined that VEGF gene expression in all subgrups was signifacantly higher than control group. At the same time, VEGF-B levels of patients with genital ulcer and vasculer involvement (DVT/thrombophlebitis) were signifacantly higher than control group.CONCLUSION:VEGF-B and VEGF gene expressions can be activity indicators for BD. In addition, this study shows that new treatment options should be explored for Behcet?s disease patients with joint and vascular involvement. In the following years, new treatment methods are needed to invastigate for revealing the role of the etiopathogenesis of BD, activation and prognosis of VEGF by examining of this study and providing much more participatory.Key words: Behcet?s disease, VEGF-B, VEGF gene expression, sTREM-1