The relationship between plasma homocysteine level and HLA‐B51 in patients with Behcet's disease: a case‐control study

Abstract

Background: Various coagulation disorders have been reported to explain hypercoagulability state in Behcet's disease (BD). A possible negative association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B51 and increased homocysteine level has been suggested in a previous report from Iranian patients with BD. The aim of this study was to find any possible relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and HLA-B51.Methods: In a case-control study, BD patients (fulfilling the new International Criteria for BD) and controls (who had similar clinical symptoms but BD was clinically excluded in them) were included. Mean plasma homocysteine levels measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in HLA-B51 positive and negative individuals both in patients and controls were compared by t-test, Mann-Whitney test and analysis of variance (F-test).Results: Ninety-six BD patients and 152 controls were recruited. There was no significant difference between HLA-B51 positive and negative individuals either in the mean plasma homocysteine levels (13.59 AE 9.03 vs. 12.95 AE 4.98 lmol/L, P = 0.514), or in the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (17% vs. 21.4%, P = 0.504). This was true both for BD and control groups. In HLA-B51 positive and negative BD patients, mean plasma homocysteine levels were 14.29 AE 12.02 and 12.62 AE 4.79 lmol/L, respectively (P = 0.33), and the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 20.8% versus 19.5% (P = 0.55). In the control group, the mean plasma homocysteine levels in HLA-B51 positive and negative individuals were 12.85 AE 4.28 and 13.14 AE 5.10 lmol/L, respectively (P = 0.794), and the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 13% versus 22.1% (P = 0.23). The difference was non-significant regarding sex (P > 0.71) and disease activity (P > 0.31).Conclusion: In contrast to our previous report, we found no relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and HLA-B51 in this study, either in BD or in the control group.

Behcet's disease

“…from 2001. Shadmanfar reports that, contrary to previous reports, there was no relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and HLA B‐51 in BD patients, nor in their control group . Lin reports 6.3% of malignancy in hospitalized BD patients, which is much higher than previous reports (6.3% vs .…”

Thrombosis in vasculitis: from pathogenesis to treatment

“…Some studies have also reported signs of enhanced platelet activation including higher concentrations of platelet microparticles (MPs) in BS patients compared with healthy controls [ 26 ]. Moreover, several studies have reported high plasma levels of homocysteine in BS patients with a history of thrombosis, especially in the active phase of disease [ 27 ], while data are conflicting on the possible correlation between homocysteine and HLA-B51 [ 28 ]; endothelial function, tested by flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery was found to be significantly impaired in BS patients [ 29 ]. Different haemostatic factors have been investigated in BS with discordant results.…”

Plasma Homocysteine in Behcet's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The initial database search yielded 184 entries plus another 2 found on Google; following the screening and exclusion processes indicated in Fig. 1 , we identified 53 studies (52 full papers and one abstract) 6 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 examining the relationship between HC and BD (48 case–control and 5 cohort studies) that were included in our systematic review and meta-analysis ( Table 1 ). Of the 48 case–control studies, one did not report the mean ages of participants 22 and another did not report gender data (both full papers), 31 whereas a third (in abstract form only) did not report the mean ages and the gender data 40 : two missing data each for mean age of participants and for male/female ratio (4.1%) are unlikely to compromise the results of the sensitivity analysis; of the five cohort studies one did not report the mean age of participants.…”