Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
PAIN CLINIC, cilt.13, sa.3, ss.203-209, 2002 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Our objective was to evaluate the profile of circulating soluble adhesion molecules and whether changes in these molecule levels are related to disease activity in patients with Behcet's disease (BD). A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure levels of soluble (s) intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), sE-selectin, sL-selectin and sP-selectin in sera from 20 consecutive patients with active BD and in sera from 20 age and sex matched healthy controls. At the active stage, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin levels were significantly higher in active patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). All active patients were treated with different therapeutic medications. When patients achieved clinical remission, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin levels were significantly decreased compared with those in active patients (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively). No statistically significant difference in sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin values was found between inactive BD patients and healthy controls (p > 0.05). There were statistically positive correlations between sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin levels and the parameters of disease activity, including ESR and CRP. In conclusion, increased levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin in active BD patients may suggest immune and endothelial stimulation and/or damage during disease activity. Also, these soluble markers may represent useful parameters to monitor disease activity.