What is the etiology of Thromboangiitis Obliterans?
Although it is clear that tobacco use plays a major role in the initiation and continuation of this disease, the pathogenesis remains unknown. A possibly autoimmune mechanism is postulated due to the presence of antiendothelial cell antibodies in patients with active disease but not in patients in remission. Chronic periodontal disease is present in two-thirds of patients with TO. Recently, DNA fragments associated with anaerobic bacteria were found in both the arterial lesions and oral cavities of patients with TO, suggesting this may be contributing to the pathogenesis.
