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Measles vaccination and inflammatory bowel disease: a national British Cohort Study
D L Morris1, S M Montgomery, N P Thompson
1Department of Medicine, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK.
Objective:
Measles vaccination has been suggested as a risk for inflammatory bowel disease. Atypical age of measles infection has also been associated with Crohn's disease. This study was designed to examine the relationship of measles vaccination and age of measles vaccination with later inflammatory bowel disease.
Methods:
A prospective population-based national birth cohort was used, of those born in 1 wk in April 1970 in Great Britain. The data are from 7616 responding members of the 1970 British Cohort Study with complete vaccination data, who were traced at age 26 yr. A diagnosis of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diabetes mellitus (a control disease) was obtained by survey at age 26 yr, and confirmed by physicians. Vaccination data were from survey at age 5 yr. Measles and mumps infection data were obtained from the survey at age 10 yr. Adjustment was made for sex, household crowding in childhood, and father's social class at birth.
Results:
No statistically significant association was found between measles vaccination status at 5 yr and Crohn's disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-1.63), ulcerative colitis (adjusted OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.20-1.61), or diabetes (adjusted OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.33-1.74). There was a statistically significant trend (p = 0.040) with increasing age of measles vaccination for risk of Crohn' s disease, although this was based on very few cases vaccinated after age 2 yr.
Conclusions:
In this cohort, monovalent measles vaccination status is not associated with inflammatory bowel disease by age 26 yr. Older age at measles vaccination needs to be examined in other studies to confirm whether it is a genuine risk for Crohn's disease.
Insights
Measles vaccination is not linked to inflammatory bowel disease. However, older age at measles vaccination may be a risk factor for Crohn's disease, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Measles vaccination is a public health cornerstone.
- Concerns exist regarding potential links between vaccination and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Previous studies suggest a possible association between atypical measles infection age and Crohn's disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between measles vaccination and the risk of developing IBD.
- To examine if the age at which measles vaccination is administered influences the risk of IBD.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, population-based national birth cohort study of individuals born in Great Britain in April 1970.
- Data from 7,616 participants in the 1970 British Cohort Study, with complete vaccination records traced to age 26.
- Diagnoses of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diabetes mellitus (control) confirmed by physicians; vaccination data collected at age 5.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant association was found between measles vaccination status at age 5 and Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or diabetes.
- A statistically significant trend indicated that increasing age at measles vaccination was associated with a higher risk of Crohn's disease (p=0.040).
- This trend was based on a small number of cases vaccinated after age 2.
Conclusions:
- Monovalent measles vaccination status in this cohort was not associated with IBD by age 26.
- Further research is needed to confirm if older age at measles vaccination is a genuine risk factor for Crohn's disease.