title: Elevated serum levels of calprotectin (MRP8/MRP14) in patients with Behçet's disease and its association with disease activity and quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease with multisystem chronic vasculitis. The disease is characterized by attacks of oral and genital ulcerations, skin lesions, arthritis, uveitis and deep vein thrombosis. The main histopathological feature is known to be vascular inflammatory change. Calprotectin (MRP8/MRP14) has been identified as an important alarmin that is expressed by activated phagocytes, granulocytes, monocytes and vascular endothelial cells, recognized by toll-like receptors, and induces a thrombogenic and inflammatory response in human microvascular endothelial cells.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the serum levels of calprotectin in patients with BD and its association with disease activity and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight patients (25 males and 23 females) and 47 healthy controls (29 males and 18 females) were included to study. BD Current Activity Form (BDCAF) was used to assess the disease activity of patients with BD. Quality of life was assessed by using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum level of calprotectin was determined using an ELISA kit. Results. Serum levels of calprotectin was significantly higher in patients with BD compared to healthy controls (p = 0.001). Serum levels of calprotectin did not correlate with the sores of BDCAF, NHP and HADS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Calprotectin may play a significant role in the pathogenetic mechanisms of BD. Further insight into this area of research might provide opportunities to develop novel treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University , Diyarbakir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Pelin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oktayoglu
authors.forename: Nuriye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mete
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caglayan
authors.forename: Mehtap
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bozan
authors.forename: Serda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Em
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D040501:Calgranulin A / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D040501:Calgranulin A
keywords: Behçet disease; calprotectin; disease activity; inflammation; quality of life