Screening for unrecognized coeliac disease in subfertile couples

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Immunology

Background:

• Subfertility is a potential long-term complication of undiagnosed coeliac disease (CD).
• Previous studies on the association between CD and subfertility have yielded inconsistent results.
• The prevalence of unrecognized CD in subfertile populations requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of unrecognized coeliac disease (CD) in subfertile male-female couples.
• To compare this prevalence with that in the general Dutch population.
• To investigate potential associations between CD and specific subfertility categories.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 1038 male-female couples (2076 individuals) attending a fertility clinic was serologically screened for CD.
• Unrecognized CD was identified by positive results for IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase type 2 and IgA endomysial antibodies.
• Prevalence data were compared to the general population (0.35%) and analyzed across subfertility diagnoses.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of unrecognized coeliac disease (CD) in subfertile couples was 0.48% (10/2076), which was not significantly different from the general population.
• No significant differences in CD prevalence were observed within specific subfertility categories: unexplained subfertility, anovulation, tubal pathology, or male factor.
• Both males and females exhibited similar CD prevalences within the subfertile cohort.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of unrecognized coeliac disease (CD) in subfertile couples is comparable to that in the general Dutch population.
• This study found no evidence of an association between coeliac disease and subfertility in either gender or across different subfertility classifications.
• Routine screening for unrecognized CD in subfertile couples may not be indicated based on these findings.