Behçet’s syndrome and relationship with the ratio of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)/IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3)

Introduction
Behçet’s syndrome (BS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have important metabolic properties such as anabolic, cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Circulating IGF-1 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 concentrations are associated with adiposity and insulin resistance.

Aim
To determine whether serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels or IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio were associated with the presence or activity of BS.

Material and methods
Forty patients with BS (mean age: 39.6 ±10), and 20 healthy volunteers (mean age: 37 ±10.4) were enrolled. Serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were measured in all subjects.

Results
Mean IGF-1 levels were low in both active BS and remission BS compared to the control group and mean IGF-1 levels were similar in active BS and remission BS. In active BS, mean IGFBP-3 levels were higher than in the control group and remission BS. There were positive correlations between these inflammatory cytokines and IGFBP-3 levels. IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio was lower in patients with BS compared to the healthy volunteer group, which was statistically significant. IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio was lower in BS than in the control group independently of ESR and hs-CRP.

Conclusions
IGF-1 may play a diagnostic role to present itself in BS. IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio is not useful as an activation or remission criterion. The ratio may be a useful marker to predict the risk of BS presence in the critical population.