Lipid profile and anticardiolipin antibodies in Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease (BD) is a multisystem disorder characterized by a relapsing inflammatory process of unknown etiology. It is well known that atherothrombosis in systemic inflammatory disorders is closely related to coagulation and lipid metabolism abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to investigate some parameters of lipid metabolism, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) levels and the relationship of these parameters with the clinical activity of BD.

Thirty three patients with BD (15 active, 18 inactive cases) and 20 healthy controls participated in the study. After performing a detailed physical exam, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), apoprotein A and B (apo-A, apo-B), Lp(a), and ACA levels (ACA-IgG and IgM) were measured in all participants.

Patients with active BD had higher ESR, CRP and Lp(a) levels, and lower apo-A and HDL-C levels compared with the patients with inactive BD and healthy controls. ACA-IgG and IgM levels were higher in patients with active BD than healthy controls but not higher than patients with inactive BD. On the other hand, ACA-IgG level was higher in active and inactive cases with vascular involvement than in those of active and inactive cases without vascular involvement. In the analyses of correlation, in active BD patients we found a positive correlation between CRP and Lp(a) levels.

Our findings suggest that Lp(a) behaves as an acute phase reactant and ACA levels are increased in patients with active BD. Data from patients with active BD may be compatible with the serum profile, which is accepted as a risk for the development of atherothrombosis.