Significance of serum interleukin-8 levels in patients with Behcet's disease: high levels may indicate vascular involvement.
BACKGROUND
Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been shown previously to associate with different individual clinical manifestations and activity of Behcet's disease (BD), but its association with vascular involvement has not been established.


METHODS
Forty-five untreated patients with BD and 29 healthy individuals were included in the study. The activity of patients was based on the existence of two or more symptoms and a statistically significantly high Behcet's Disease Activity Index (BDAI) at the time of the study. IL-8, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) results were evaluated with respect to activity, vascular involvement, and other specific individual clinical manifestations of the disease.


RESULTS
IL-8 levels were found to be significantly elevated in active BD compared with inactive BD (P = 0.006) and healthy controls (P = 0.000), with median values of 267 (53-2000), 137 (52-290), and 58 pg/mL (53-160 pg/mL), respectively. Unlike ESR and CRP, IL-8 levels showed a high correlation with BDAI scores (r = 0.743, P = 0.00) and the number of active clinical manifestations (r = 0.646, P = 0.00). Serum levels of IL-8 were increased in patients with oral ulcers, genital ulcers, eye lesions, and vascular lesions, with median values and significance levels of 254.5 (53-2000), P = 0.05; 254.5 (52-1400), P = 0.03; 254.5 (72-2000), P = 0.029; and 593 pg/mL (110-2000 pg/mL), P = 0.001, respectively. In addition, IL-8 levels in the active patient group with vascular involvement were significantly higher than the levels in those without vascular involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IL-8 levels are increased in the active phase of BD. This marker may be useful in the early detection of vascular involvement.
Durmazlar
Selda Pelin Kartal
SP
Department of Dermatology, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. pelin@drcom
Ulkar
Gul Bahar
GB
Eskioglu
Fatma
F
Tatlican
Semih
S
Mert
Ali
A
Akgul
Ahmet
A
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications
D015415:Biomarkers; D016209:Interleukin-8; D002097:C-Reactive Protein