Abstract
Aim: Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic immuno-inflammatory disorder and the aetiopathogenesis is to be specified. Cytokines play a role in immune response and in many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this case-control study is to investigate serum pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), IL-6, and chemokine IL-8 levels in patients with BD. We also determined the end product of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA)) in BD patients as an index for oxidative stress.Methods: A total of 37 patients (19 men, 18 women) with BD (active, n = 17; inactive, n = 20) and 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy control subjects (11 men, nine women) included in this cross-sectional, blinded study. Serum TNF-α, IL-1β, sIL-2R, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were determined by a spectrophotometer technique using the immulite chemiluminescent immunometric assay. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by Wasowicz et al. The levels of cytokines and lipid peroxidation in the active period were compared with the inactive period of the disease. Results are expressed as mean ± standard error.Results: IL-1β levels were below the detection limits of the assay (< 5 pg/ml) in all samples. Mean levels of MDA (8.1 ± 0.7 μmol/l), sIL-2R (800 ± 38 U/ml), IL-6 (12.6 ± 1.1 pg/ml), IL-8 (7.2 ± 0.4 pg/ml), and TNF-α (7.9 ± 0.5 pg/ml) in active BD patients were significantly higher than those in inactive patients (4.3 ± 0.5 μmol/l,