Serum lipoprotein (a) levels and Behçet's disease: is there an association?

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder found in individuals with a particular genetic background. Hemostatic studies in BD support an imbalance towards a prothrombotic state at different levels. Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) has atherogenic and thrombogenic properties. It is mostly under genetic regulation. We investigated the possible relationship between Lp(a) and BD.

Forty patients diagnosed with BD and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. The clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, and Lp(a) levels of the two groups were assessed and compared statistically.

All patients (100%) had oral aphthous ulcers. Thirty (75%) had genital ulceration, 37 (92.5%) had either erythema nodosum or papulopustular lesions, and 10 (25%) had eye involvement. Twelve (30%) had a positive pathergy test. Four (10%) had vascular involvement. The Lp(a) level of the patient population was 19.6+/-18.8 mg/dL. This level was higher than that of the controls, but not statistically significant. The Lp(a) levels of the four patients with vascular complications were within normal limits.

Lp(a) is of interest, as it is a genetically determined parameter that was found to be high in BD patients in our study group. The levels were independent of thrombotic complications, perhaps suggesting a different role for this lipoprotein in the etiopathogenesis of BD. Further studies with a larger number of patients are essential to discover the exact role of Lp(a) in BD.