title: A study on thrombophilic factors in Italian Behcet's patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behcet's disease (BD) may complicate with arterial and venous thrombosis. The purpose of this work is to evaluate in an Italian group of BD patients with thrombotic events a large panel of inherited and acquired thrombophilic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty BD patients, of which nine with previously arterial or venous thrombosis and 21 without, underwent the following investigations: plasma antithrombin activity, protein C activity, free protein S level, sensitivity to APC, total plasma homocysteine concentration, serum folate level, determination of anti-phospholipid antibodies, serum Lp(a) levels, tests for gene polymorphisms of factor V Leiden, prothrombin and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genes. Tests for the gene polymorphisms were also performed in a group of healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the six patients with arterial or deep venous thrombosis showed thrombophilic conditions such as protein C or protein S deficiency (one case each), hyperhomocysteinemia (two cases), positivity of anti-phospholipid antibodies associated with APC resistance or hyperhomocysteinemia (one case each). Among three subjects with superficial thrombophlebitis only one showed a mild hyperhomocysteinemia. No differences were found between BD patients and control subjects concerning polymorphisms of the genes considered. Among BD patients the Factor V H1299R mutation showed a weak association with venous thrombosis (P=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In BD patients different concomitant significant thrombophilic risk factors may contribute to the development of thrombotic events. Patients affected by vasculo-Behcet should be evaluated for the presence of coexisting major thrombophilic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica Sperimentale, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Piazzale Scuro, 37134 Verona, Italy. paola.caramaschi@azosp.vr.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caramaschi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonora
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tinazzi
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pieropan
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bambara
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biasi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000378:metabolism; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011486:Protein C / Q000378:metabolism; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D000991:Antithrombins; D011486:Protein C; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein; C095381:factor V Leiden; C098070:lipoprotein A receptor; D006710:Homocysteine; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin; D005492:Folic Acid; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)