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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development

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Infections in Early Life and Development of Celiac Disease

Andreas Beyerlein1, Ewan Donnachie2, Anette-Gabriele Ziegler1

  • 1Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.

American Journal of Epidemiology
|June 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Early gastrointestinal infections in infants significantly increase the risk of developing celiac disease (CD). Respiratory infections also show a link, with repeated gut infections posing the highest risk for later CD development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric gastroenterology
  • Immunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten.
  • Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between early life infections and the subsequent development of CD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between medically attended infectious diseases in infancy and the risk of developing celiac disease later in life.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective analysis of health insurance claims data from 295,420 infants in Bavaria, Germany (born 2005-2007).
  • Infections were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes.
  • Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, adjusting for sex, birth month, and prior healthcare visits.

Main Results:

  • Infants experiencing a gastrointestinal infection in the first year had a 32% increased risk of CD (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12-1.55).
  • Respiratory infections in the first year were associated with a 22% increased CD risk (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04-1.43).
  • Repeated gastrointestinal infections showed a particularly elevated risk for later celiac disease.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life gastrointestinal infections appear to be a significant risk factor for the development of celiac disease.
  • Findings suggest that infections in early life may play a role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease.

Keywords:
celiac diseasegastrointestinal infectionsrespiratory infections

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