Serum rantes, MİP-1 alfa and MCP-1 levels in patients with Behçet's disease . A comparitive study with patients with familial mediterranean fever

ABSTRACT SERUM RANTES, MlP-la AND MCP-1 LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH BEHCET'S DISEASE. A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER. The aim of the study is to investigate the serum levels of chemokines, RANTES (regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted), MIP (macrophage inhibitory protein)- la, MCP (monocyte chemoattractant protein)-l in patients with Behcet's disease (BD) and compare them to those of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and normal controls. Serum RANTES, MIP- la and MCP-1 levels of 27 patients with BD (mean age 38.95 ± 1.6, 10 female, 11 male, 11 active, 10 inactive) meeting Criteria of the International Study Group for BD, 27 patients with FMF (mean age 34.3 ± 10.2, 14 female, 13 male; 13 in attack, 14 in attack-free period) meeting Tel Hashomer criteria for the disease and 27 healthy controls (37 + 6.6, 13 F, 14 M) were measured by ELISA method. Mean serum levels of RANTES were comparable among the groups (Mean ± SD, 123.06 ± 49.44, 112.02 ± 57.59, 100.49 ± 43.86.ng/ml, for BD, FMF and control group respectively). Mean serum level of MlP-la of BD (Mean ± SEM, 126.80 ± 36.10 pg/ml) was significantly higher (P = 0.05) than that of the controls (80.93 ± 43.38 pg/ml) but comparable to that of FMF patients (78.94 ± 29.24 pg/ml). Mean MCP-1 levels were comparable among the groups (Mean + SEM; 1156.55 ± 205.84, 1003.53 + 110.47 and 999.55 ± 111.77 pg/ml, respectively). In Behçet group regardless of activity, positive correlations between serum RANTES and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (r = 0.458, p = 0.037, n = 21), and negative correlations between MlP-la and CRP (r = -0.452, p = 0.039, n = 21) were found. In active patients with BD significant negative correlations were found between serum MlP-la and RANTES levels (r = -0.800, p = 0.003, n = 11). In patients with inactive BD negative correlations were found between serum MCP-1 and VIIICRP levels (r = -0.703, p = 0.023, n = 10). The chemokine levels were not different significantly between the active and inactive patients with BD or FMF. The studied CC chemokines might be thought to be involved in the patogenesis of Behcet's disease. Tissue expression of these chemokines may give more information than the serum levels. Key Words: Behcet's disease, chemokine, familial Mediterrannean fever, monocyte chemoattractant protein- 1, MCP-1, macrophage inhibitory protein- la, MIP-la regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted, RANTES. IX