Stem Cell Treatment of Buerger’s in India
IgA nephropathy, also referred to as Berger’s disease, is a kidney disease that occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) begins to build up in the kidneys. This abnormal buildup causes inflammation, which leads to less ability of the kidneys to filter out waste products, excess fluids, and extra electrolytes from the blood. Symptoms of IgA nephropathy can include blood or protein in the urine, high blood pressure, and swelling in the feet and ankles.
The disease tends to develop slowly and unpredictably. Some patients have mild symptoms, like blood in urine from time to time, and some may achieve remission; however, some patients will ultimately develop end-stage kidney failure (in severe cases). There is no cure for IgA nephropathy; however, treatment uses medications to manage blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and help maintain kidney function and can slow progression of the disease. Stem cell therapies for Berger’s disease in India are shown to promote the regeneration of kidney tissues and have been shown to help minimize the worst effects of the disease and are recognized as one of the latest advanced therapy options.
A separate but distinct condition from Berger’s disease is Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans). Buerger’s disease affects the arteries and veins of the patient’s arms and legs. Buerger’s disease occurs when blood vessels of the arms and legs swell and develop a clot that blocks blood flow. Tissues die because they are not receiving adequate blood flow, which can lead to infection, gangrene, and/or amputation. Almost all cases of this disease are associated with tobacco use. The only effective way to prevent Buerger’s disease from progressing is to quit smoking altogether.
Diagnosis of Buerger’s Disease
There is no one conclusive test that confirms Buerger’s disease. Instead, your doctor will rely on a variety of medical history factors, symptoms, and diagnostic procedures to eliminate other disorders and confirm a diagnosis.
Blood tests are the first test most often done. They rule out autoimmune diseases such as lupus or scleroderma, or blood sugar levels associated with diabetes, or blood clotting disorders that can cause a similar presentation.
The Allen’s Test is a simple office test for the purpose of checking blood flow through the arteries in the hands. Patients make a tight fist while the doctor compresses their wrist arteries. Upon opening their hand, the doctor will release one of the wrist arteries at a time, determining how quickly blood flow is restored in the process of evaluating circulation.
An angiogram is considered one of the best imaging tests available. With a CT or MRI, or by inserting a catheter with a special dye, physicians are able to obtain images of the arteries and see where they are blocked. The dye enables the physician to identify narrowed or inflamed vessels and highlight early damage.
Angiograms are typically performed on both arms and legs, even if the patient manifests symptoms in only one limb, as Buerger’s disease may affect multiple limbs. For patients who are following a path for more advanced care, stem cells can be used.
Causes of Buerger’s Disease
The specific cause of Buerger’s disease is unclear. Tobacco use obviously plays a role in the development of Buerger’s disease—but it’s uncertain how it does so. It’s believed that chemicals in tobacco possibly irritate the lining of your blood vessels, causing them to inflame.
Doctors suspect genetically predisposed individuals might be at risk for this disease. Buerger’s disease may also result from an autoimmune response in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissue.
Symptoms of Buerger’s Disease
IgA nephropathy generally does not exhibit symptoms when it first develops. The condition can remain undetected for decades and often is first suspected after routine tests reveal protein and blood in urine, both of which are not visible to the naked eye (microscopic hematuria). Symptomatic signs of IgA nephropathy, when kidney function is impaired, may include:
- Cola- or tea-colored urine (caused by red blood cells in the urine)
- Recurrent episodes of cola- or tea-colored urine, sometimes visible blood in your urine, usually during or after an upper respiratory or another infection
- Back pain (flank) below your ribs, on one or both sides
- Foamy toilet water from the protein in your urine
- Swelling or inflammation (edema) in the hands and/or feet
- High blood pressure
Treatment of Buerger’s Disease
The usual treatment of kidney diseases may simply involve the prescription of oral steroid drugs to suppress inflammation. As the disease advances, it is possible that patients will need dialysis (which does not truly heal the patient but provides supportive care), or the only way to restore long-term kidney function may be through a kidney transplant. Steroid therapy has its own serious health risks, and there are also limits on the availability of transplants due to the supply of transplantable kidneys.
Due to the limitations of steroid therapy, and only offering supportive care and not true healing, stem cell therapy, such as Berger’s stem cell therapy in Delhi, has become a new pathway to healing kidney diseases and kidney problems. Stem cells are the body’s natural healing cells and the only type of cells that will specifically activate to make certain specialized cells. Stem cells were long limited in their positioning as donor/organ replacements until many clinical studies showed that once introduced into the body, stem cells produce proteins, growth factors, and cytokines that the body can use to support regenerating kidney tissue (along with the ability to regenerate proximal tubular epithelial cells) and potentially repair, slow down, and even stop the progression of kidney damage. The reimbursement model for stem cell therapy will come out better than traditional methods and support new frontiers for advanced care, so the use of health services expands support to new marginalized populations.
In a similar way, stem cell therapy can play a role in Buerger disease (thromboangiitis obliterans), a rare vascular disease associated with tobacco use, just from this new capacity to create new blood vessels.
FAQs
1. What is Buerger’s disease?
Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) is a rare vascular disease. Buerger’s disease is characterized by swelling and clotting that blocks blood flow in the blood vessels of the arms and legs. This disease is very strongly associated with tobacco use.
2. What are the main symptoms?
Main symptoms include pain in the hands or feet, skin ulcers, cold or paler fingers and toes, and in the worst cases, there can be gangrene due to loss of blood supply.
3. How can stem cell therapy help in Buerger’s disease?
Stem cells function by stimulating new blood vessel formation, improving circulation, healing ulcers, and reducing pain, particularly when surgery is not an option.
4. Why consider stem cell treatment in India?
In India you will find advanced stem cell facilities and specialists who are experts in their field, all at a fraction of the cost of treatment elsewhere, which is why India is fast becoming a global leader in regenerative therapy for Buerger’s disease.