Vascular endothelial growth factor and subclinical atherosclerosis by carotid ultrasonography in Egyptian patients with Behçet’s disease

This study aimed to investigate serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and to measure common carotid intima media thickness (cc-IMT) in Egyptian patients with Behçet’s disease (BD) to evaluate their relations to disease activity and different clinical manifestations. Seventy patients with BD and 70 healthy controls participated in this study. Behçet’s disease patients were subjected to detailed history taking, thorough clinical examination, disease activity assessment using the BD Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and laboratory investigation. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels were measured using ELISA. The carotid arteries were assessed for cc-IMT and plaques with a carotid high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. The mean cc-IMT showed a significant difference in BD patients compared to controls (p < 0.011). Three BD patients had plaques (4.3%). There were significant correlations of cc-IMT with disease duration (p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (BP) (p = 0.029), diastolic BP (p = 0.041), total cholesterol (p < 0.001) and LDL (p < 0.001) and insignificant correlation with BDCAF (p = 0.054). There was a significant elevation of VEGF levels (p < 0.001) in BD patients compared to controls. VEGF levels showed significant correlations with ESR (p = 0.14), CRP (p < 0.001) and BDCAF (P = 0.02), while there was an insignificant correlation with cc-IMT (p = 0.107). BD patients have ultrasonographic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis which was associated with increasing age, longer disease duration, elevated systolic and diastolic BP, total cholesterol and LDL. Elevated VEGF showed statistically significant positive correlations with BDCAF and thus can be used as a marker of disease activity and/or therapeutic targets in BD patients.