Assessment of aortic stiffness and ventricular diastolic functions in patients with Behcet's disease

Background: Behcet's disease is a systemic vasculitis in which studies have given conflicting results about ventricular diastolic functions. However, tissue Doppler echocardiography has never been used in any of these studies. Aortic stiffness, a cardiovascular risk factor, may also precede ventricular dysfunction. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess aortic stiffness and biventricular diastolic functions in patients with Behcet's disease. Methods: A total of 26 patients with Behcet's disease (mean age; 33 +/- 10 years) and 20 age- and sex-matched controls (mean age; 33 +/- 7 years) were included. Aortic stiffness was evaluated by aortic strain and distensibility. Ventricular diastolic functions were evaluated with both conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Mitral E and A wave, E/A ratio of E wave, deceleration time, and isovolumic relaxation time were calculated. Results: There was no significant difference in diastolic Doppler parameters between patients and controls. Similarly, there was no significant difference in mitral annular E and A velocities between these two groups. Aortic strain in patients with Behcet's disease was found to be significantly less than in the controls (8.3 +/- 4.9% and 15.7 +/- 2.7% respectively, p < 0.001). Aortic distensibility was also significantly low in patients with Behcet's disease when compared to controls (0.45 +/- 0.28 and 0.78 +/- 0.13 respectively, p < 0.001). Beta index values were significantly high in Behcet's patients (7.23 +/- 5.93 and 2.69 +/- 0.55 respectively, p < 0.001). Conclusion: No significant diastolic dysfunction was found in left and right ventricles in patients with Behcet's disease by using both conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. However, an increase in aortic stiffness was found, suggesting an inflammatory involvement of proximal aorta.