J Turk Acad Dermatol 2011; 5 (4): 1154a1

Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a naturally occurring hormone, produced in the kidneys, which stimulates the body to produce more red blood cells. Our purpose was to investigate EPO, IL-4 levels, and hematologic parameters including total blood count, iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin, transferring, vitamin B-12, folate levels in patients with Behçet’s disease (BD). Material and Methods: Twenty patients with BD and 21 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Quantitative determination of EPO and IL-4 were determined with test kits by photometric ELISA method. Results: We found a significant increase in EPO and folate levels, whereas serum iron levels decreased in patients with BD. The distribution of IL-4, total blood count, total iron binding capacity, ferritin, transferrine, vitamin B-12 levels were the same in both groups. Conclusion: Patients with BD demonstrated higher EPO and folate levels, and lower serum iron levels. We conclude that higher EPO, folat levels may reflect a lower risk factor for systemic involvement of BD.