Serum vitronectin levels in patients with Behçet's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine serum vitronectin levels in Behçet patients with and without ocular involvement, and to evaluate the relationship between vitronectin concentrations and clinical manifestations of Behçet's disease (BD).


METHODS
Sixty-five patients with BD and 21 control subjects were included. All patients were queried for the clinical manifestations of BD. Serum vitronectin concentrations were determined by using in vitro enzyme immunoassay kits.


RESULTS
Serum vitronectin levels between the patients and the control subjects were not different. There was no statistically significant difference between vitronectin levels in Behçet patients with and without ocular involvement. No correlation was found between vitronectin concentrations and clinical manifestations.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study evaluating vitronectin levels in Behçet patients. Further studies involving larger numbers of subjects would be useful to improve our understanding of the functions of vitronectin in BD.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Ali
A
Yalçındağ
Aslıhan
A
Uzun
F
F
Nilüfer Yalçındağ
Namık
N
Delibaş
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D019096:Vitronectin / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D019096:Vitronectin