1978 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 252-256
Blood coagulation studies were performed on 57 occasions in 20 patients with Behcet's disease who had ocular manifestations, consisting of 15 males and 5 females from 27 to 52 years of age.
ADP-induced platelet aggregation was increased on 4 occasions out of 8 in patients with exacerbated ocular inflammatory manifestations (attack), while it was increased only on 5 occasions out of 32 in patients in the stage of remission (remission). Kaolin-activated partial thromboplastin time was shortened and the levels of fibrinogen, factors V and VIII (AHF) were elevated on many occasions both in attack and remission.
AHF procoagulant activity was 158.4±56.4% (Mean±SD) of normal in attack and 135.4±40.6% in remission. The level of AHF-like antigen measured by immunoelectrophoresis using rabbit antibody against human AHF was 181.9±64.4% of normal in attack and 125.6±43.8% in remission. There was a statistically significant increase in the level of AHF-like antigen in patients with attack (p<0.05). The ratio of AHF procoagulant activity to AHF-like antigen (activity/antigen) was 0.83±0.13 in attack and 1.08±0.29 in remission, and there was a significant difference between both values (p<0.05).
These results suggest that the patients with this disease may generally be in hypercoagulable state and in the stage of aggravation of ocular inflammation there may be formed some microthrombi locally in the ocular venules (localized intravascular coagulation), which results in the increased production of AHF and some other clotting factors and leads to “vicious circle”.
