The plasma levels of activated thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and thrombomodulin in Behçet disease and their association with thrombosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the plasma levels of activated thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (aTAFI) and thrombomodulin (TM) in Behçet disease (BD) and their relationship with thrombosis.


METHODS
Plasma aTAFI and TM levels were measured by ELISA in 89 patients with BD (18 having venous thrombosis) and in 86 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, the BD group had significantly lower levels of aTAFI (13.49+/-8.88 microg/ml vs. 26.76+/-11.57 microg/ml, p<0.0001) and significantly higher levels of TM (3.26+/-1.85 ng/ml vs. 2.6+/-0.69 ng/ml, p=0.0003). Neither aTAFI, nor TM levels differed significantly between BD patients with and without thrombosis (p>0.05). Despite a tendency to positive correlation (r=0.37, p=0.0004) between plasma levels of aTAFI and TM in healthy controls, there was a tendency for negative correlation (r=-0.51, p<0.0001) between these two parameters in BD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The plasma aTAFI and TM levels do not seem to be related with the presence of thrombosis observed in BD. Increased plasma TM levels in BD may simply reflect endothelial cell activation and dysfunction.
Donmez
Ayhan
A
Ege University Medical School, Department of Hematology, Izmir, Turkey. ayhan.donmez@ege.edu.tr
Aksu
Kenan
K
Aydin
Hakan
H
Keser
Gokhan
G
Cagirgan
Seckin
S
Doganavsargil
Eker
E
Tombuloglu
Murat
M
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2 / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000097:blood*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D014421:Turkey
D015415:Biomarkers; C546931:THBD protein, human; D018180:Thrombomodulin; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2