Open AccessDecreasing incidence and severity of Behçet’s disease: a changing trend in epidemiological spectrum possibly associated with oral health
Author(s) -
Gonca Mumcu,
Fatma Alıbaz Öner,
Tülin Ergun,
Haner Direskeneli
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
turkish journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.277
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1303-6165
pISSN - 1300-0144
DOI - 10.3906/sag-2003-147
Subject(s) - medicine , epidemiology , incidence (geometry) , disease , immigration , behcet's disease , turkish , demography , environmental health , pathology , linguistics , philosophy , physics , archaeology , sociology , optics , history
Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic and inflammatory disorder that is mainly present along the ancient Silk Road, from the Mediterranean Sea to East Asia. A wide range of prevalence figures (0.1–420/100,000) have been reported for BD, also among Turkish populations of similar genetic background living in different countries. Recently, a decline in the incidence of BD and a change of the disease spectrum to less-severe manifestations have been reported from Japan and Korea, two genetically homogenous, affluent populations with limited immigration. It was hypothesized that a decline in infectious diseases, especially dental/periodontal infections, associated with the improvement in oral health, could be a part of these changes in the disease expression. Further epidemiological studies in other populations might demonstrate whether there is a worldwide similar trend and may provide a better understanding of the triggering factors for the onset and course of BD.