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Prevalence of coexisting autoimmune thyroidal diseases in coeliac disease is decreasing
Patricia Dominguez Castro1, Grace Harkin2, Mary Hussey3
1Trinity Translational Medicine Institute and Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Science, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Insights
Coeliac disease (CD) patients have a higher risk of other autoimmune conditions. While autoimmune thyroid disease prevalence decreased in women with CD over time, other conditions remain more common.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Coeliac disease (CD) is linked to an increased risk of developing other immune-mediated conditions.
- Understanding the prevalence of coexisting autoimmune diseases in CD patients is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of immune-mediated diseases in coeliac disease patients.
- To analyze temporal trends in autoimmune thyroid disease prevalence among coeliac disease patients over the past 50 years.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records from 749 coeliac disease patients in Ireland.
- Comparison of autoimmune disease prevalence in CD patients with general population data.
- Stratification of patients by diagnosis year to assess changes in autoimmune thyroid disease prevalence over time.
Main Results:
- 31.1% of coeliac disease patients had at least one coexisting immune-mediated condition.
- Autoimmune thyroid diseases were present in 19.9% of patients, with hypothyroidism in 14.7%.
- Autoimmune thyroid disease prevalence decreased in female CD patients over the study period.
Conclusions:
- Adult coeliac disease patients exhibit a higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases compared to the general population.
- The decreasing trend of autoimmune thyroid diseases in women with coeliac disease warrants further investigation.
Background:
Coeliac disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of other immune-mediated conditions. Aim: To investigate the prevalence of coexistent immune-mediated diseases in CD patients, and changes in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroidal diseases over the last 50 years.
Methods:
Medical record data were collected retrospectively from 749 CD patients in Ireland. Prevalence of autoimmune diseases was compared with previously published results from general populations. Patients were divided into four groups based on the year of diagnosis to analyse changes in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroidal disease over time.
Results:
Median age at the time of CD diagnosis was 56 years (range 18-91 years). A total of 233 (31.1%) patients had a coexistent immune-mediated condition (IMC). Autoimmune thyroidal diseases were seen in 149 (19.9%) patients, hypothyroidism in 110 (14.7%), type 1 diabetes in 27 (3.6%), psoriasis in 20 (2.7%), inflammatory bowel disease in 14 (1.9%) and rheumatoid arthritis in 12 (1.6%). All conditions were more common in CD patients than in the general population. Type 1 diabetes was diagnosed mainly before CD, whereas there was no such trend in other conditions. Autoimmune thyroidal diseases became less common in female CD patients over time.
Conclusions:
Prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increased in adult CD patients compared with the general population. However, concomitant autoimmune thyroidal diseases became less common over time in women.
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