Can we determine the activity of Behcet's disease with a more practical and easy method?

Abstract

There is not any single laboratory finding as an indicator of activity of Behcet's Disease (BD) and various parameters are investigated in many different studies. The aim of our study is to evaluate the inflammation markers, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), thrombocyte/lymphoyte ratio (TLR) and coagulation markers MPV, MPV/thrombocyte ratio; and determine a timely, easy, inexpensive and fast activity marker for the disease. Eighty five patients with diagnosis of BD according to the Criteria International Behcet Disease Study Group and 40 age-sex matched controls are recruited to the study. Patients are divided into two groups as active patients and those under remission depending on the activity criteria. The complete blood count, ESR and CRP values are retrospectively scanned. Of the 85 patients 40 were active and 45 were under remission. The duration of disease were less than 1 year in 16.5%, 1-5 years in 50.6%, longer than 5 year in 32.9%. There was a statistically significant difference in MPV and NLR values between patient and control groups whereas Difference was not significant in MPV/thrombocyte and TLR values. When the active patients were compared with patients in remission ESR, CRP and NLR values were significantly higher in active patients. There were 6 patients with a history of deep venous thrombosis. Althought there were significantly higher values a statistical evaluation was not done due to the low patient number. BD constitutes a mutisystemic vasculitic process that as an inflammation marker, NLR is found to be high. Besides ESR and CRP, NLR can be used as an activity marker. MPV that indicates a vulnerability to thrombosis is higher in patients. Antithrombotic therapy may be required in patients with high MPV values. © Gülhane Askeri Tip Akademisi 2014.