Serum homocysteine level is higher in Behçet's disease with vascular involvement

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology that is sometimes associated with thrombosis. However, the mechanism of hypercoagulability is not known. In this study, we investigated whether hyperhomocysteinemia, being a well-known risk factor for thrombosis, is also a contributing risk factor to venous and arterial thromboses of BD.

Forty-five patients with BD and 40 healthy subjects were included in the study. Sixteen patients had vascular involvement. Serum homocysteine levels were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

In male patients, the frequency of vascular involvement was significantly higher than in females (46.7% vs 13.3%, P < 0.05). Serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with BD than healthy controls (P < 0.01), in patients with vascular involvement than those with mucocutaneous involvement (P < 0.01) and healthy controls (P = 0.001), and in male patients than in female patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in homocysteine levels between the BD patients with mucocutaneous involvement and healthy subjects. In multiple regression analysis, serum homocysteine level was independently associated with thrombosis (odds ratio 1.29, P < 0.01), but male sex was not.

This preliminary study suggests that elevated serum homocysteine levels may play some role in the development of venous and arterial thromboses in BD.