Prevalence of sarcoidosis in Switzerland is associated with environmental factors

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate incidence, prevalence and regional distribution of sarcoidosis in Switzerland with respect to environmental exposures.All sarcoidosis patients hospitalised between 2002 and 2005 were identified from the Swiss hospital statistics from the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics (Neuchâtel, Switzerland). Regional exposure characteristics included the regional distribution of different industrial sectors, agriculture and air quality. Co-inertia analysis, as well as a generalised linear model, was applied.The prevalence of ''ever-in-life'' diagnosed sarcoidosis, currently active sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis requiring hospitalisation was 121 (95% CI 93-149), 44 (95% CI 34-54) and 16 (95% CI 10-22) per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. The mean annual incidence of sarcoidosis was 7 (95% CI 5-11) per 100,000 inhabitants. The regional workforce in the metal industry, water supply, air transport factories and the area of potato production, artificial meadows (grassland) and bread grains were positively associated with the frequency of sarcoidosis.The prevalence of sarcoidosis was higher than assumed based on former international estimates. Higher frequency was found in regions with metal industry and intense agriculture, especially production of potatoes, bread grains and artificial meadows.

Global burden of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis complicating sarcoidosis

“…Published prevalence/incidence ratios vary from 2.5 in Finland [23], through 3.7 based on Japanese and Greek data [21,23], to 6.7 currently active/incident cases in Switzerland [22] and 7.8 in Belgium [15], so we settled on a conservative estimate of 3.7. We started with countries with populations exceeding 50 million and extended to each WHO region by assuming similar values for countries with populations ,50 million as for those with .50 million.…”

“…Proportions per 100,000 population ranged from 0.1 to 64 [14][15][16]. Available individual country prevalences were used for the UK [17], Israel [18], Iceland [19], Spain (pulmonary sarcoidosis only) [20], Greece [21], Switzerland [22], Japan [23] and the USA [24]. Extrapolations were made as follows: China and Vietnam were assumed to be similar to Singapore Chinese [25]; India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, to Singapore Indians [25]; Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, to Singapore Malaysians [25]; Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia, to UK black people [26]; Egypt and Iran, to Turkey [27]; and Russia, to Finland [23].…”

Significant reduction of AECOPD hospitalisations after implementation of a public smoking ban in Graubünden, Switzerland

“…This strategy is unlikely to have changed after introduction of the smoking ban. However, the Swiss coding system provides a nationwide coverage and high data completeness enabling valid comparisons across regions 23. Further, possible cases of mistakes in ICD-coding by the treating physicians cannot be excluded.…”

Genetic susceptibility to beryllium: a case–referent study of men and women of working age with sarcoidosis or other chronic lung disease

“…Both environmental and genetic factors are associated with sarcoidosis 2 3. Suggested occupational risk factors include metal working industries (from an ecological study in Switzerland)4 and exposure to insecticides 2. No clear gene–environmental interaction has been reported for sarcoidosis, contrasting strongly with the highly elevated risk of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) in those with a glutamic acid residue coded for in codon 69 (Glu69) in the HLA-DPB1 gene 5.…”