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The prevalence of coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis
James Francis1, John E Carty, Brian B Scott
1Department of Rheumatology, Lincoln County Hospital, UK.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods:
One hundred and sixty patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis were tested for the endomysial antibody. Those found positive were studied further with endoscopic small bowel biopsy.
Results:
Only one patient was found to have coeliac disease, and that had already been diagnosed. Thus the prevalence of previously undiagnosed coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis is 0 (95% CI 0-0.24%) and the overall prevalence of coeliac disease is 0.63% (95% CI 0.1-3.5%). These prevalences are not significantly different from the reported prevalences of coeliac disease in the general population.
Conclusions:
This study does not support an association between coeliac disease and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis or the screening of such patients for coeliac disease.