Osteopontin levels in behcet disease

Behçet disease (BH) is a chronic, recurrent , systemic vasculitis. The etiology of the disease can not been clearly explained. Endothelial injury and abnormal immune response are accused in BH etiopathogenesis. In this study, the relationship between the molecule of osteopontin which is known to be effective in chronic inflamation and Th1 immune response and BH was investigated.60 behçet patients, 50 healthy controls and 63 psoriasis patients were included to the study. Patients who are diagnosed as BH according to international study group diagnosis criteria and who have at least one mucocutenous findings were evaluated as active and who don?t have mucocutaneous findings during the study inactive patients. İn our study patients were divided to three groups; According to vasküler involvement active patient (who have at least one of the deep venous thrombosis (DVT), superficial migratory trombophlebitis (YGTF) and major vaskuler involvement during the study), inactive patients (patients who have DVT, YGTF and major vaskuler involvement previously) and patients without vaskuler involvement.The plasma osteopontin (OPN) levels of the Behcet and psoriasis patients were found statistically significantly higher than the group of healthy controls. (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). Active Behçet patients, inactive Behçet patients and psoriasis patients were statistically significantly higher than the healthy control group (respectively, p<0.001, p=0.008, p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between active Behçet patients and inactive Behçet patients, between active Behcet patients and psoriasis patients and between inactive Behçet patients and psoriasis patients (p>0.05).When active and inactive Behçet patients compared with healthy control group in terms of vascular involvement, mean plasma OPN levels were found statically significantly higher (p=0.01, p<0.001, respectively). Between the Behçet patients who are active and inactive in terms of vascular involvement, Behçet patients who don?t have vascular involvement and psoriasis patients, there were no statistically significant differences in the OPN levels (p>0.05).Finally, we determined that plasma OPN levels were very high in BH and psoriasis that are the chronic inflammatory diseases in which Th1 type inflammatory response and macrophage chemotaxis are dominant. OPN has an important role in this inflammatory process by increasing both Th1 inflammatory response and macrophage chemotaksis. However, we determined that OPN levels were not related with these diseases? activities. Therefore we think that OPN can not be used as a beneficial criteria in the evalution of these diseases? activities and the response to the therapy.Key words: Behcet disease, psoriasis disease, osteopontin, Th1 immune response.