Population‐based prevalence study of Behçet's disease: Differences by ethnic origin and low variation by age at immigration

Abstract

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of Behçet's disease (BD) in a multiethnic population living in France, with particular focus on disease risk among immigrants.Methods. The study was conducted in a county in the Paris metropolitan area that is home to 1,094,412 adults (ages >15 years), of whom 26% are of nonEuropean ancestry. Patients with BD living in this area during 2003 were identified using 3 sources (hospitals, community physicians, and the National Health Insurance database), and diagnoses were verified using the International Study Group criteria. Standardized, year-2003 prevalence rates were computed for the overall population and for each ethnic group. Stratified prevalence rates according to age at immigration to France were calculated to investigate the relationship between age at immigration and BD risk.Results. Seventy-nine subjects fulfilled our search criteria. The overall prevalence per 100,000 adults was 7.1 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.5-14.4), and the prevalence for populations of European, North African, and Asian ancestry was 2.4 (95% CI 0.6-7.2), 34.6 (95% CI 24.4-47.5), and 17.5 (95% CI 10.7-27.2), respectively. Within the migrant population of either North African or Asian ancestry, BD prevalences were similar for residents born in France, residents <15 years old at immigration, and residents >15 years old at immigration.Conclusion. Our findings indicate that the prevalence of BD among immigrants of North African or Asian ancestry is significantly higher than that in the European-origin population, and comparable with rates reported from North Africa and Asia. Moreover, our results suggest that BD risk is not related to age at immigration. These findings support the hypothesis that BD has a primarily hereditary basis.

Multisystemic diseases and ethnicity: a focus on lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, sarcoidosis and Behçet disease

“…from Tunisia to France or from Turkey to Germany -keep their innate higher risk of developing the disease, independent of (a) (b) age of migration. 55,56 This is strongly suggestive of genetic predisposing factors underlying the higher prevalences observed in endemic areas for Behc ßet disease. The best known genetic trait associated with this disease is the HLA-B51 allele, which increases the risk of Behc ßet disease by sixfold.…”

“…1,55 In these countries, prevalence of the disease has been estimated from 15Á2 up to 420/ 100 000, whereas it ranges from 0Á3 to 7Á5/100 000 in studies from western Europe and the U.S.A. 1 People migrating from high-prevalence to low-prevalence countries -e.g. from Tunisia to France or from Turkey to Germany -keep their innate higher risk of developing the disease, independent of (a) (b) age of migration.…”

Behçet's disease in black skin. A retrospective study of 50 cases in Dakar.

“…14 However we found only two familial cases. The frequency of the familial form varies between 2 and 18% depending on the population.…”

“…The frequency of the familial form varies between 2 and 18% depending on the population. 14 Familial forms seem to be more severe than sporadic and they are strongly associated with HLA B51. Familial occurrence is more common among Korean (15.4%) than Chinese and Japanese (2.2-2.6%) as well as in Arab, Israeli or Turkish populations (2-18.2%), which are more than in European origin patients (4.5%).…”

Behçet’s disease: The clinical and demographic characteristics of 182 patients

“…Etnik köken ve çevresel faktörlerin BH'nin prevalans ve kliniğini değiştirdiğini bildiren çalışmalar mevcuttur. BH özellikle 3. dekatta, nadiren de olsa çocukluk çağında başlayabilmektedir 9,10 . Hastalığın erkeklerde başlangıç yaş ortalaması ülkemizde Soylu ve ark.…”