Background: Behcet’s disease is an inflammatory, systemic and chronic disorder with
unknown etiology affecting multiple systems of body (1). The cause is not clear but seems
to be multifactorial, including immune system dysfunction (humoral and cellular immune
defects), endothelial cell dysfunction and genetic predisposition (2). White adipose tissue
produces variety of proteins in the name of adipocytokines, with important roles in body
metabolism. One of these newly identified secreted adipocytokines is visfatin, which is
secreted by the visceral fat and its plasma level increases during the obesity. It has insulinmimetic
effects in metabolism of cultured cells and activates the insulin receptor (3). Visfatin
stimulates inflammatory cells like monocytes and can induces increasing circulating level
of IL-6 in mice. It have been considered as a new proinflammatory adipocytokine (4). Previous
studies have evaluated visfatin level in immunologic disorders like rheumatoid arthritis
and showed it was significantly higher in comparing to control subjects (4,5,6). There was
no evaluation in patients with behcet disease yet.
Objectives: We have evaluated visfatin level in patients with behcet disease finding inflammatory
role of that in pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of behcet disease.
Methods: We have evaluated 40 patients with Behcet’s disease fulfilled the International
Study Group Criteria for the Diagnosis of Behc¸et’s Disease (ISG) and 40 healthy subjects
from healthy candidates referring to behcet clinic of Shiraz medical university as a referral
center for these patients in south Iran. Both groups have been matched for age, body mass
index (BMI) and sex. Visfatin was checked in both groups using ELISA Kit.
Results: There were no significant difference between cases and controls in mean concentration
of visfatin level (P = 0.61). Difference in the visfatin level between patients with
active and inactive manifestations of Behcet’s disease approximated to the significant levels
(6.13 3.20 and 4.25 2.73, respectively; P = 0.07).
Conclusion: In view of our study, we have concluded that visfatin levels may affect the
clinical manifestations of BD maybe as a proinfalmmatory marker in pathogenesis and
active manifestations of Behcet’s disease although more cases should be included in future
works
