Serum angiostatin levels in patients with Behçet’s disease: does angiogenesis play a role in the pathogenesis of Behçet’s disease?

Abstract

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, but the possible role of angiogenesis in Behçet's disease (BD) has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to determine angiostatin levels in patients with BD and the role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of the disease. Thirty-seven patients with BD (mean age: 28·6±5·4 years, mean disease duration: 9·3±3·7 years) and 18 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Twenty-four patients were in active and 13 patients were in inactive stage of the disease. The mean serum angiostatin level of patients with BD was 113·9±53·2 and 60·7±20·1 ng/ml in healthy controls. The mean serum angiostatin level was 142·7±43·1 ng/ml in active and 86·9±15·5 ng/ml in inactive patients with BD. Serum angiostatin levels were significantly high in patients with BD compared with healthy controls (P<0·001) and it was significantly high in active patients compared with inactive patients with BD (P<0·001). In inactive patients with BD, serum angiostatin concentrations were found to be higher compared with healthy controls (P<0·01). In active BD patients, the mean serum angiostatin level was correlated with the deep vein thrombosis (r = 0·482, P = 0·05), uveitis (r = 0·582, P = 0·01), and arthritis (r = 0·492, P = 0·05). According to these results; elevated serum angiostatin levels in patients with BD suggest the possible role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of the disease and its high levels in inactive Behçet's patients is related with the continuous activation of the disease even in the subclinical period.

Statin treatment decreases serum angiostatin levels in patients with ischemic heart disease

“…It has been earlier demonstrated that increased levels of angiostatin circulate in patients during various stages of inflammation [4,30]. The most recent study of Keshkin et al (2014) [19] indicates that noticeable up-regulation of angiostatin is found in subjects with Behçet's disease and observed even in the subclinical period. These findings suggest that higher angiostatin levels, in parallel with C-RP, reflect increased disease burden apart from being just indicators of extensive inflammation.…”

“…More significant amounts of angiostatin are detected in the circulation of patients with cancer, providing marker role of angiostatin in tumor growth [36]. However, more recent studies revealed overexpression of serum angiostatin levels in individuals with chronic inflammatory processes, for example, in Behçet's disease [19]. Though, prognostic impact of angiostatin in atherosclerosis-associated pathologies has been largely unexplored.…”

Urine angiostatin and VCAM‐1 surpass conventional metrics in predicting elevated renal pathology activity indices in lupus nephritis

“…9,10,30,31 Angiostatin produced by tumors inhibits primary and metastatic tumor growth by blocking tumor angiogenesis. [32][33][34][35][36] Elevated serum angiostatin levels were detected in patients with Behc ßet's disease, 37 as well as systemic sclerosis (SSc) 38 suggesting the possible role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Angiostatin was also noted to be a marker of late SSc disease, where it relates to lung disease severity.…”

Successful mesenchymal stem cell treatment of leg ulcers complicated by Behcet disease

“…[ 9 , 28 , 29 ] A high level of circulating angiostatin was correlated with disease activity in BD patients. [ 30 ] MSC transplantation can return normal homeostatic function to injured tissues including the secretion of factors that suppress inflammation and improve angiogenesis. [ 31 – 33 ] Finally, MSC transplantation induced significant healing of ulcers and necrotic skin lesions in SSc patients that had otherwise not responded to conventional therapy.…”