Serum ghrelın and obestatın levels and ghrelın and ghrelın receptor gene polymorphısms ın behçet?s dısease

Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by the form of recurrent attacks of mucocutaneous, ocular, musculo-skeletal, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system involvement. Etiopathogenesis of BD is not completely defined.Ghrelin, which is known as a orexigenic hormone, has immune regulatory properties too. Obestatin is an anorectic peptide. Although ghrelin and obestatin are encoded in the same gene, obestatin shows reverse effects of ghrelin. On the other hand obestatin?s effect on the immune system is unknown. However, obestatin levels in rheumatoid arthritis and BD have been reported correlated with markers of disease activity.Immune regulatory properties of ghrelin suggest that ghrelin may be taking a role in the etiopathogenesis of BD. Similarly, probable role of obestatin, a peptide associated with ghrelin, in the etiopathogenesis of BD seems to worthy of investigation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the serum levels of active/inactive ghrelin and obestatin and the polymorphism in the ghrelin gene in patients with BD. Together with 143 patients over 18 years old and diagnosed with BD, 158 healthy controls are accepted to study.Ghrelin and obestatin levels were measured by ELISA method. Ghrelin (rs696217 (C247A, Leu72Met), rs4684677 (A265T, Gln90Leu), rs26802 (C501A), rs27647 (A604G) and ghrelin receptor gene (rs2232165 (C60T, Asp20Asp), rs495225 (C171T, Gly57Gly)) polymorphisms with real-time PCR, were studied.In our study were no statistical difference in acyl-ghrelin (active), des-acyl ghrelin (inactive) and obestatin levels and ghrelin and ghrelin receptor gene polymorphisms between BD group and healty control group. As a result of this study, can be considered that ghrelin and ghrelin receptor gene polymorphism are not risk factors for BD.Key words: Behçet's disease, ghrelin, obestatin, ghrelin receptor gene polymorphisms