Effect of desmopressin (DDAVP) on protein C and protein C inhibitors in uremia

The effect of desmopressin (DDAVP) on protein C (PC) and PC inhibitors was investigated in 7 uremic predialysis patients, 7 hemodialysis patients and 7 controls. Significant decrease in PC activity was observed in all groups after DDAVP administration. Desmopressin did not influence PC antigen and two well-known PC inhibitors, plasminogen activator inhibitor-3 and alpha 1-antitrypsin. Thus, it is suggested that DDAVP-induced decrease in PC activity is not related to the changes in PC inhibitors; further studies are needed to clarify the precise mechanisms of the effect of DDAVP on PC in uremia.

Familial Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVES

To highlight the frequency, clinical features and histocompatibility antigen types of the familial form of Behçet's disease.

METHODS

Twenty-seven cases with familial Behçet's disease in 12 families were evaluated according to clinical features, sites of involvement, HLA-A and HLA-B typing. A review of the literature is presented.

RESULTS

The frequency of familial form of Behçet's disease was found to be 8.7% among 137 patients studied. Vascular involvement was 7.4% (2/27) in the familial group while it was 28.8% (36/125) in patients without the familial form of the disease (p < 0.01). HLA-B51(5) and HLA-A2 were positive in 68% and 75% in 16 familial cases studied, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Familial Behçet's disease, which constitutes a small group of patients with Behçet's disease, may represent a clinically heterogeneous subtype of this entity. Although lower frequency of vascular complications was observed in this study, it is not possible to indicate the precise frequency of vascular and ocular complications of the familial form of Behçet's disease. The frequencies of HLA-A2 and HLA-B51(5) positivity are higher than the previously reported non-Behçet's controls from Turkey.

Vascular involvement in Behçet's disease

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcerations with uveitis. At onset it may present with manifestations of vascular involvement instead of the classical triad. We analyzed 137 patients with BD and 38 had vascular involvement with a prevalence of 27.7%. Male to female ratio was 4.4 and associations of positive pathergy test (76.3%) and eye lesions (57.8%) were higher compared to patients without vascular involvement. Patients with subcutaneous thrombophlebitis were more likely to develop major venous occlusions (22.2%) in the lower extremities and inferior vena cava. Arterial lesions were less frequent features constituting 12.0% of vascular complications in BD.

Iliac artery aneurysm in Behçet's disease: a case report

Today, Behcet's disease is known as a multisystem disorder. Eye lesions, mouth and genital aphthous lesions, and skin lesions are accepted as major lesions. The disease also attacks the locomotor system, central nervous system, gastrointestinal system and also arteries and veins. According to available data, some 30% of the patients have vascular lesions; mostly thrombosis of the veins. Arterial thromboses have been rarely reported; and only a few number of arterial aneurysms are noted. Here we present an iliac artery aneurysm in a case of Behcet's disease.