Haemostasis in patients with Behcet's disease

Aim: to determine whether Behcet's disease affects haemostatic function. Setting: University Hospital, Turkey. Patients: one hundred and twenty-seve n consecutive patients with Behcet's disease, 34 of whom with a history of vascular involvement. Methods: pr prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 tissue plasminogen activator, protei n S and C, antithrombin, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, thrombomodulin and prothrombin time (PT) were measured in patient plasma. Results: soluble thrombomodulin was significantly lower and von Willebrand factor (vWF) and tissue plasminogen activator (IPA) significantly higher in Bechet's patients. Patients with vascular involvement showed the highest l evels of vWF and tPA. There was no activation of coagulation, not even in p atients with an active disease at the time of sampling. Conclusion: there were indirect signs of endothelial activity or damage, pa rticularly in patients with vascular involvement. Coagulation was not activ ated.