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Carotid artery stiffness in Behçet's disease

Servet Yolbaş1, Nevzat Gözel2, Mustafa Necati Dağlı3

  • 1Department of Rheumatology, İnönü University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.

European Journal of Rheumatology
|June 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Behçet's disease (BD) does not directly increase carotid arterial stiffness (CAS) or carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). Arterial stiffness and cIMT were similar in BD patients compared to healthy controls, regardless of disease activity.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Medicine
  • Rheumatology
  • Cardiovascular Research

Background:

  • Increased carotid arterial stiffness (CAS) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) are indicators of early atherosclerosis.
  • Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis with potential cardiovascular implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate carotid arterial stiffness (CAS) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).
  • To compare these vascular parameters between BD patients, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and healthy controls (HC).

Main Methods:

  • Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured in BD (n=49), RA (n=64), and HC (n=40) groups.
  • Carotid arterial stiffness (CAS) indices including arterial compliance (AC), arterial distensibility (AD), Young's elastic modulus (YEM), Peterson's elastic modulus (Ep), and β stiffness index (βSI) were assessed.
  • Vascular parameters were compared across groups and analyzed in relation to BD disease activity and pathergy reaction.

Main Results:

  • Mean cIMT was higher in RA patients than in HC, but not significantly different in BD patients.
  • CAS indices (AD, AC, Ep, βSI) did not differ significantly among the study groups.
  • In BD patients, lower AD, AC, and Ep were observed in those with a positive pathergy reaction compared to those with a negative reaction.

Conclusions:

  • Behçet's disease (BD) does not appear to directly cause increased arterial stiffness or cIMT.
  • Vascular stiffness and cIMT in BD patients are not significantly influenced by disease activity.
  • Pathergy reaction may be associated with altered arterial mechanics in BD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Behçet’s diseasearterial stiffnessintima-media thickness

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