Clinical research Buerger’s disease as an indicator of socioeconomic development in different societies, a cross-sectional descriptive study in the North-East of Iran

Abstract

IntroductionNowadays, Buerger's disease (BD) is more common in the developing countries of Asia. Although its prevalence is going to decrease in the developed countries, its decline rate is not in parallel with that for smoking in these countries. Since the number of BD patients reported to MVasRc is increasing annually and its pathogenesis is unknown, the aim of the study was to investigate the smoking habits and socioeconomic status of the patients corresponding with Shionoya's criteria.Material and methodsPoverty line was the key factor of economic condition. Hygiene, education, professional occupation, long-term unemployment and healthy work were considered as social indices. Patients under the poverty line in addition to weakness in more than two social indices were included in low socioeconomic classification.ResultsFrom the total of 86 patients who reported to MVasRc during the 22-month study period, 71.6% and > 95% were new cases of BD and in low socioeconomic status respectively. Smoking ranged from 2 to 80 cigarettes/day. The duration of smoking before the onset of BD varied from 2 months to 35 years.ConclusionsThere is a lack of correspondence between BD and decline in the prevalence of smoking in developed countries. Also, duration and smoking habit varied in the studied patients. On the other hand, the strong dependence of BD on low socioeconomic conditions, as revealed in this research, implies that socioeconomic status may be a risk factor for initiation of BD. Moreover, the prevalence of BD might be an indicator of socioeconomic development in different societies.

Sera of patients with thromboangiitis obliterans activated cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and changed their adhesive properties

“…Those patients who had given up smoking at the time of blood sampling were excluded from the study. Since all TAO patients in this study were from low socioeconomic status, based on our suggestive indices, including poverty line, hygiene, education, professional occupation and long‐term unemployment, the two control groups were also matched based on their socioeconomic status. For this reason, the numbers in our control groups became limited.…”

Article Commentary: Need for changes in clinical criteria for diagnosing Buerger's disease

“…1,2 Owing to its unclear etiology, none of several diagnostic criteria that have been suggested have yet been confirmed as effectively distinct diagnostic criteria for this disease. 1,3 In those countries where Buerger's disease is common, the clinical criteria of Shionoya are accepted.…”

<p>Detection of Rickettsia Endosymbiont Bemisia Tabaci in the Amputated Limbs of Three Buerger’s Disease Patients</p>

“…Although there is a close relationship between BD and smoking, it cannot explain the low prevalence of BD amongst smokers or the disease's geographical distribution. 2 Infectious pathogens, such as Rickettsial infection, have been suggested as the trigger of BD development, [3][4][5] but this theory has neither been proven nor ruled out.…”