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Sarcoidosis in residents of northern Israel of Arabic and Jewish origin: a comparative study
Author(s) -
YIGLA Mordechai,
BADARNAABURIA Nahal,
GORALNIK Luda,
RUBIN AmiHai E.,
WEILERRAVELL Daniel
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2006.00891.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sarcoidosis , arabic , judaism , dermatology , ancient history , archaeology , linguistics , philosophy , history
Background: This study describes the features of sarcoidosis among Arab patients and compares it to Jewish patients residing in northern Israel. Methods: All new cases of biopsy‐confirmed sarcoidosis diagnosed between 1980 and 1996 in northern Israel were divided into two groups according to their ethnic origin: Jewish ( n = 72) and Arabic ( n = 48). Disease parameters were recorded and compared. Results: Arabs and Jews had similar incidence rates that increased from 0.2/10 5 in 1980 to 2/10 5 per year in 1996. The peak incidence was in the sixth and seventh decades and the female/male ratio was 2 and 1.4 for Arabic and Jewish patients, respectively. Jewish patients had higher proportion stage II–IV pulmonary disease (78% vs. 51.2%) while their Arabic counterparts had higher proportion of stage I disease (70.8% vs. 41.7%). The proportion of extra‐thoracic organ involvement was similar. Different disease phenotype indicated differed diagnostic procedures; higher proportion of mediastinoscopy for stage I disease among Arabic patients (47.9% vs. 20.8%, P = 0.015) and trans‐bronchial biopsy for stage II–IV pulmonary disease among Jewish patients (25% vs. 8.35%, P = 0.05). Corticosteroids were used in a non‐significantly higher proportion of Jewish patients (56.9% vs. 43.8%, P > 0.05). Of six sarcoidosis‐related deaths (5%), five occurred in Jewish patients. Conclusions: This study has documented different forms of presentation, clinical manifestation, severity and prognosis of sarcoidosis present among patients of Arabic and Jewish origin residing in the area of northern Israel.