Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013 Oct;17(5):611-614.
doi: 10.1007/s10157-013-0813-9. Epub 2013 May 30.

Epidemiology of vasculitides: differences between Japan, Europe and North America

Shigeto Kobayashi  1 , Shouichi Fujimoto  2
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of vasculitides: differences between Japan, Europe and North America

Shigeto Kobayashi et al. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

The epidemiology of systemic vasculitides differs between Japan, Europe and North America. Takayasu's arteritis occurs frequently in Japan, unlike giant cell arteritis. A collaborative international study comparing the epidemiology of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis between Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) demonstrated that microscopic polyangiitis and myeloperoxidase-ANCA were more common in Japan, whereas granulomatosis with polyangiitis and pronase 3-ANCA were more common in the UK. These differences may be attributed to differences in latitude and genetic backgrounds. These findings provide useful information on the aetiology and pathogenesis of primary systemic vasculitides in various geographical regions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Geographical differences in the incidences of vasculitides. GCA and GPA occur more frequently in North Europe and North America whereas Takayasu arteritis and MPA occur more frequently in Japan
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kobayashi S, Fujimoto S, Takahashi K, Suzuki K. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, large vessel vasculitis and Kawasaki disease in Japan. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2010;33:442–455. doi: 10.1159/000320383. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Watts RA, Lane SE, Bentham G, Scott DG. Epidemiology of systemic vasculitis: a ten-year study in the United Kingdom. Arthritis Rheum. 2000;43:414–419. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(200002)43:2<414::AID-ANR23>3.0.CO;2-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Watts RA, Gonzalez-Gay MA, Lane SE, Garcia-Porrua C, Bentham G, Scott DG. Geoepidemilogy of systemic vasculitis: comparison of the incidence in two regions of Europe. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001;60:170–172. doi: 10.1136/ard.60.2.170. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Numano F. Differences in clinical presentation and outcome in different countries for Takayasu’s arteritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 1997;9:12–15. doi: 10.1097/00002281-199701000-00003. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kobayashi S, Yano T, Matsumoto Y, Numano F, Nakajima N, Yasuda K, Yutani C, Nakayama T, Tamakoshi A, Kawamura T, Ohno Y, Inaba Y, Hashimoto H. Clinical and epidemiologic analysis of giant cell (temporal) arteritis from a nationwide survey in 1998 in Japan: the first government-supported nationwide survey. Arthritis Rheum. 2003;49:594–598. doi: 10.1002/art.11195. - DOI - PubMed