title: Fibrinolytic activity and d-dimer levels in Behçet's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thrombophlebitis occurs in a third of patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS). The thrombotic tendency in BS has been studied with inconclusive results perhaps due to the inadequate numbers of patients studied during the acute phase of the thrombosis as well as the lack of appropriate diseased controls. We have studied tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1), and d-dimer levels in BS patients with and without thrombosis both in the acute and chronic phases along with suitable diseased and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  t-PA and PAI-1 were studied by ELISA and d-dimer by semiquantitative latex agglutination slide test in 30 BS patients without deep vein thrombosis (DVT), 10 BS with acute DVT (ADVT), 25 BS with chronic DVT, 27 with ankylosing spondylitis, 26 diffuse systemic sclerosis, 15 patients with ADVT due to other causes, 10 patients with sepsis, and 23 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The t-PA levels in BS with ADVT were significantly lower than those in patients with ADVT due to other causes (7.4 +/- 6.2 vs. 13.4 +/- 6.3, P = 0.027) while PAI-1 levels did not show significant differences between the groups (P = 0.60). The numbers of patients with d-dimer levels of > or = 0.5 microg/ml in BS with ADVT were similar to those found in patients with ADVT due to other causes (9/10 vs. 14/14).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively low t-PA levels point to a defect in fibrinolysis in BS. d-dimer levels are increased in the acute phase of thrombosis in BS.
authors.affiliation: Behçet's Syndrome Research Center, Istanbul, Turkey. profsyurdakul@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yurdakul
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hekim
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soysal
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fresko
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bavunoglu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozbakir
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tabak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melikoglu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hamuryudan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000097:blood*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator