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. 2004 Nov;63(11):1445–1449. doi: 10.1136/ard.2003.014241

Thrombophilic factors are not the leading cause of thrombosis in Behçet's disease

M Leiba 1, U Seligsohn 1, Y Sidi 1, D Harats 1, B Sela 1, J Griffin 1, A Livneh 1, N Rosenberg 1, I Gelernter 1, H Gur 1, M Ehrenfeld 1
PMCID: PMC1754810  PMID: 15479893

Abstract

Background: Venous and arterial thromboses occur in patients with Behçet's disease and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Studies on a possible association between the occurrence of thrombosis and thrombophilia in patients with this disease have been controversial.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of the most common thrombophilias and dyslipidaemia in patients with Behçet's disease with and without thrombosis.

Methods: Blood samples from 107 patients with Behçet's disease who had or did not have thrombosis were analysed for factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A polymorphism, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism, factor VIII level, homocysteine and C reactive protein concentrations, dyslipidaemia, and plasma glucosylceramide.

Results: There was no difference between patients with and without thrombosis in the prevalence of prothrombin G20210A polymorphism, factor V Leiden, homozygous MTHFR C677T, or plasma concentrations of homocysteine, C reactive protein, or glucosylceramide. In contrast, patients with thrombosis were found to have significantly higher mean levels of factor VIII, total cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, and apolipoproteins B-100, C-II, and C-III than those without thrombosis. Multistepwise logistic regression analysis showed that triglyceride concentration was the best marker associated with thrombosis (p = 0.008), with an estimated odds ratio of 1.58 (95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 2.30) for a difference of 40 mg/dl.

Conclusions: Thrombophilia does not seem to play a major role in the tendency to thrombosis in Behçet's disease. However, dyslipidaemia, predominantly hypertriglyceridaemia, might be a risk factor.

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Selected References

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