title: No apparent correlation between Behçet's disease and oxidative stress disturbance.
abstract: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic, progressive and inflammatory multisystemic disease, that significantly affects the cardiovascular system. Oxidative stress (OS) is a disturbance in oxidant/antioxidant balance in favor of oxidants. The OS that increases acutely and chronically due to the inflammatory process plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular system effects of the disease by causing endothelial dysfunction in vascular structures. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between OS and myocardial perfusion, which is based on microvascular dysfunction, in BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients with BD (16 M, 11 F, mean age: 38.7 +/- 9.4 years) and 22 healthy volunteers (12 M, 10 F, mean age: 35.8 +/- 6.5 years) participated in our study. Technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile single photon emission computed tomography (Tc-99m MIBI SPECT) stress-rest test was performed with two-day protocol. Myocardial perfusion scores (summed stress score, summed rest score, summed difference score, fix defect score) and perfusion defect prevalence (stress, rest, ischemic and fixed) were determined as the percentage of left ventricle. Coronary angiography was performed in patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. For OS analysis, the blood samples were taken immediately before the first imaging procedure and were studied for malondialdehyde, glutathione, nitrite, nitrate, vitamin C, retinol, and carotene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the BD group, a total of 9 patients had abnormal findings in their stress and rest electrocardiography. Perfusion defect in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was observed in 14 patients (51.8%). Twelve patients accepted coronary angiography, and their results were normal. In the comparison of myocardial perfusion scores, perfusion defect prevalence and OS parameters, there was a significant difference between the BD and control groups. In the BD group, no correlation was observed between myocardial perfusion scores, perfusion defect prevalence and OS parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Defects in myocardial perfusion and increase in OS were observed in BD; however, there was no correlation between the two findings in the inactive period. In other words, the prevalence and intensity of myocardial perfusion defects can vary at different OS levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Acibadem Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey. drsaglam69@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.forename: Eser
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemek
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ciçek
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kulac
authors.forename: Semsettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi