Why are Behçet's disease patients always exhausted?

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Neuroendocrinology
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Background:

• Behçet's disease (BD) is characterized by significant fatigue and sleep disturbances impacting daily life.
• The underlying mechanisms linking BD to these symptoms are not fully understood.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) was employed to identify potential biomarkers associated with fatigue and sleep issues in BD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between fatigue, sleep quality, and disease activity in BD patients.
• To assess the circulating concentrations of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and inflammatory cytokines.
• To explore the role of these biomarkers in the manifestation of fatigue and sleep disorders in BD.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 127 participants, including 97 BD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC), was studied.
• Participants completed the Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires.
• Serum concentrations of α-MSH, VIP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Main Results:

• 64% of BD patients reported high fatigue, and 63% experienced poor sleep quality.
• BD patients exhibited significantly higher MAF and PSQI scores, along with elevated serum levels of α-MSH, VIP, and IL-6 compared to HC.
• α-MSH and IL-6 significantly correlated with fatigue and sleep quality, while VIP influenced sleep quality and disease activity.

Conclusions:

• Circulating α-MSH, VIP, and IL-6 are implicated in the pathophysiology of fatigue and sleep disturbances in Behçet's disease.
• Understanding these complex interactions may pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies.
• Targeting these biomarkers could potentially improve management of fatigue, sleep disorders, and disease activity in BD.