Is common variable immunodeficiency associated with diverticulitis? A matched cohort study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Radiology

Background:

• Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disorder.
• Patients with CVID may have altered susceptibility to infections and inflammatory conditions.
• Diverticulitis is a common gastrointestinal condition often diagnosed via CT imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence and severity of acute diverticulitis in patients with CVID versus controls.
• To investigate the association between CVID and the occurrence of diverticulitis.
• To assess the outcomes of diverticulitis in CVID patients.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter, retrospective study design.
• Comparison of adult patients with CVID to a matched control cohort.
• Analysis of CT imaging data for abdominal pain in emergency room presentations (2015-2024).
• Statistical analysis including Mann-Whitney U, chi-square, Mantel-Haenszel tests, and conditional logistic regression.

Main Results:

• A total of 1392 patients were analyzed (696 with CVID, 696 controls).
• CVID was associated with significantly lower odds of acute diverticulitis (OR 0.41, P<0.001).
• No significant differences were observed in the rates of complicated diverticulitis, inpatient treatment, surgical intervention, or recurrent diverticulitis between groups.

Conclusions:

• Patients with CVID presenting to the emergency department exhibit reduced odds of acute diverticulitis.
• The findings suggest a potentially protective effect of CVID against diverticulitis development.
• Further research may elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association.