Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Like Weak Inducer of Apoptosis (Tweak) Independently Predicts Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Behcet’s Disease

Icli, Abdullah; Cure, Medine Cumhur; Cure, Erkan; Arslan, Sevket; Unal, Mehmet; Sakiz, Davut; Ozucan, Miyase; Toker, Aysun; Turkmen, Kultigin; Kucuk, Adem

doi:10.14712/18059694.2018.123

Acta Medica > Archive > 2018, Vol. 61 > Issue 3 > Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Like…

Acta Med. 2018, 61: 86-92

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2018.123

Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Like Weak Inducer of Apoptosis (Tweak) Independently Predicts Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Behcet’s Disease

Abdullah Icli^a, Medine Cumhur Cure^b, Erkan Cure^c, Sevket Arslan^d, Mehmet Unal^e, Davut Sakiz^f, Miyase Ozucan^g, Aysun Toker^h, Kultigin Turkmenⁱ, Adem Kucuk^j

^aDepartment of Cardiology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
^bDepartment of Biochemistry, Istanbul Laboratory, Istanbul, Turkey
^cDepartment of Internal Medicine, Camlica Erdem Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
^dDivision of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
^eDepartment of Dermatology, Konya Numune Hospital, Konya, Turkey
^fDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
^gDepartment of Internal Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
^hDepartment of Biochemistry, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
ⁱDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
^jDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Malatya State Hospital, Malatya, Turkey

Received May 25, 2018
Accepted September 25, 2018

Background: Vasculopathy is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Behcet’s Disease (BD). Subclinical atherosclerosis can even be detected in the early stage of BD. Soluble tumor necrosis factor-like (TNF) weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) is known as a good marker of the inflammation in vascular tree. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) and serum TWEAK levels in patients with BD. Materials and Methods: In line with International BD Study Group criteria, 48 BD, and 30 controls were included in our study. Disease activity was evaluated according to BD current activity form (BDCAF). C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lipid parameters, serum TWEAK levels, and cIMT were measured. Results: Disease activity score of BD patients was found as 2 (range 0–7). cIMT, serum TWEAK, CRP and ESR levels of BD patients were significantly higher comparing to cIMT (0.62 ± 0.13 mm vs. 0.43 ± 0.09 mm, p < 0.001), serum TWEAK (667.5 ± 130.6 vs. 603.4 ± 89.6 pg/ml, p = 0.015), CRP (3.9 ± 4.3 vs. 1.4 ± 1.0 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and ESR (10.2 ± 10.0 vs. 5.6 ± 3.7 mm/h, p = 0.005) levels of the control group. There was a positive correlation between serum TWEAK level and disease activity (r = 0.251, p = 0.030) and cIMT (r = 0.463, p < 0.001). Our study also revealed an independent correlation between cIMT and serum TWEAK levels (beta = 0.354, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Increased serum TWEAK levels can play a part in the development of atherosclerotic heart disease in BD. Due to their liability to atherosclerosis, patients with BD must followed closely.