Relationship between serum vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelin-1 levels with organ involvement and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Background Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Considering the importance of serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 as the most abundant of the circulating adhesion molecules increased as a result of endothelial dysfunction and the role of endothelin-1 in pathophysiology of SLE, this study aimed to evaluate serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelin-1 levels in SLE patients compared to healthy subjects. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 60 SLE patients according to the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria for SLE and 40 age and sex-matched healthy controls were included. In patients, clinical examination was performed and SLE disease activity index was assessed. Serum endothelin-1 and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 levels were measured using ELISA kits. Results The mean ± standard deviation age of patients and controls was 31.91 ± 7.66 and 33.20 ± 10.08 years, respectively. Compared to healthy controls, serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (1023.8 ± 352.96 vs. 866.06 ± 109.91) and endothelin-1 (77.83 ± 16.27 vs. 54.45 ± 12.01) was significantly higher in SLE patients ( P = 0.003 and P < 0.001, respectively). The most common organs involved in patients were skin, joint and kidney. There were no significant differences in serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelin-1 levels according to organ involvement, activity of disease and the conventional serum markers of disease activity ( P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between disease activity, organ involvement and negative or positivity of autoantibodies as well as serum complement with endothelin-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 levels ( P > 0.05). Conclusions Although our study revealed higher serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelin-1 levels in SLE patients compared to healthy controls, there were no significant correlations between their serum levels with organ involvement and disease activity.

Common MEFV mutations in Iranian Azeri Turkish patients with Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause with higher prevalence along the ancient Silk Road. BD shares epidemiological and clinical features with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Moreover, association of BD and certain MEFV gene mutations has been described in recent decades. We studied the role of MEFV mutations in Iranian Azeri Turkish patients with BD. METHODS: Fifty-three BD patients who met the International Study Group criteria for BD were analysed for five common MEFV mutations (M694V, V726A, M680I, M694I, and E148Q) using amplification refractory mutation system and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction-digestion testing methods. A cohort of 200 healthy Azeri Turkish individuals who had been previously genotyped regarding the five common MEFV mutations served as the control group. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were found to carry a single MEFV mutation and one additional patient was compound heterozygote. There was a statistically significant difference between the patient group and ethnically matched healthy individuals regarding M694V and M680I mutations (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04, respectively). Both BD groups (carriers and non-carriers of MEFV mutations) were similar in their clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: Definite MEFV mutations seem to be a susceptibility factor for BD in our cohort of Iranian Azeri Turkish patients.