1.Evaluation of Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Behcet's Disease by Using Noninvasive Radiological Methods such as Intima-Media Thickness of the Carotid, Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index, Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring, and Their Relation to Serum Fetuin-.
Belkiz UYAR ; Aynur SOLAK ; Berhan GENC ; Muhittin AKYILDIZ ; Neslin SAHIN ; Ihsan Sami UYAR ; Ali SAKLAMAZ
Annals of Dermatology 2015;27(6):702-708
BACKGROUND: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory systemic vasculitis. Evidence for increased atherosclerosis in BD has been observed. The relation between cardiovascular risk factors and increased atherosclerosis in patients with BD is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to evaluate arterial stiffness in patients with BD by using noninvasive radiological methods such as carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI), coronary artery calcium score (CACaS), and their relation to serum fetuin-A levels, which was recently found to be important in vascular calcification. METHODS: This prospective study included 26 patients with BD and 25 control subjects. In all patients, the CIMT, ABPI, CACaS, and serum fetuin-A levels were examined. RESULTS: The CIMT and CACaS were statistically higher and the ABPI was statistically lower in BD patients than in the control group. All p-values were <0.001. Positive correlations were found between the CACaS and CIMT, and negative correlations were found between the CACaS and ABPI. Although the values of fetuin-A were higher in BD, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.064). However, the correlations found between fetuin-A levels and CIMT and between fetuin-A levels and CACaS were significant. CONCLUSION: The CIMT, CACaS, and ABPI are all useful in detecting structural and functional vascular damage in BD.
alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein*
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Ankle Brachial Index
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Atherosclerosis
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Calcium*
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Cardiovascular Diseases
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Carotid Arteries
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Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
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Case-Control Studies*
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Coronary Vessels*
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Humans
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Methods*
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Prospective Studies
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Risk Factors
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Systemic Vasculitis
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Vascular Calcification
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Vascular Stiffness*