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Review
. 2019 Aug;14(5):653-660.
doi: 10.1007/s11739-018-2000-1. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Triggering agents and microbiome as environmental factors on Behçet's syndrome

Gonca Mumcu  1 , Haner Direskeneli  2
Affiliations
Review

Triggering agents and microbiome as environmental factors on Behçet's syndrome

Gonca Mumcu et al. Intern Emerg Med. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Environmental and other triggering factors are suggested to cause the onset and the clinical relapses of Behçet's syndrome (BS), a multi-systemic inflammatory disorder. In this review, environmental factors are discussed according to their interactions with etiopathogenesis, immune response and disease activity. Stress is a common self-triggering factor for most BS patients. Stimuli such as some foods can activate oral ulcers, and may be linked to the histamine content of the food. Oral/skin trauma and menstruation associated with hormonal factors aggravate, whereas allergy/atopy seem to alleviate the symptoms of BS. Infections are associated with BS, and microbial stimuli can activate inflammation in mucosal surfaces with increased Th1/Th17 responses. Fecal and oral microbiome patterns change in diversity and composition in BS. Better oral hygiene applications and anti-microbial interventions might be helpful to suppress oral ulcers in BS.

Keywords: Behçet’s syndrome; Environmental factors; Microbiome; Triggering agents.

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