The relationship of pentraxin-3 levels with IL-17, fetuin-A, insulin in patients with Behçet's disease

Abstract

Background: Pentraxin (PTX) 3 is synthesized by leukocytes, dendritic cells, endothelial cells and monocytes in response to IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and it might be informative regarding local inflammation. In additionally, pentraxin (PTX)-3, produced by endothelial cells in atherosclerotic plaques, acts as a modulator of inflammatory processes and is involved in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Objective: This study aimed to identify the levels of proteins, such as PTX and fetuin-A, which are thought to play a role in the progression of atherosclerotic and cardiovascular disorders in patients with BD, and to investigate the relationship of these protein levels with BD activity, inflammatory cytokines, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia. Patients and methods: This study included 58 patients (36 females, 22 males) with BD and 20 healthy controls. Serum PTX-3, fetuin-A, interleukin (IL)-17 and insulin concentrations were determined. Homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were calculated, and disease activity was assessed using BD Current Activity Form (BDCAF) scores. Results: The levels pentraxin-3, fetuin-A, IL-17, insulin and HOMA-IR in patients with BD were found to be higher than control subjects (p 0.05). Conclusions: Similar to CRP, PTX-3 is an acute-phase reactant that is considered an inflammatory and atherosclerotic biomarker. This study showed that PTX-3 levels can increase, similar to IL-17, but no relationship was detected between disease activity and coronary risk factors such as serum lipids, glucose intolerance and obesity. This was a cross-sectional study; therefore, the patients should be followed in long-term studies to determine whether higher PTX levels in BD patients are associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords

• Behcet disease
• Pentraxin-3
• Atherosclerosis