Sarcoidosis in patients with celiac disease

Dig Dis Sci. 2008 Apr;53(4):977-81. doi: 10.1007/s10620-007-9974-2. Epub 2007 Oct 13.

Abstract

Purpose: Several case reports and European studies have suggested an association between sarcoidosis and celiac disease; however, they have been inconsistent. We therefore analyzed a large cohort of celiac-disease patients to assess this association.

Methods: An anonymized database of patients with celiac disease was reviewed to determine the number of patients with sarcoidosis. Age- and gender-adjusted standardized morbidity ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by comparing results to US-population-derived prevalence data.

Results: Ten patients were found to have a comorbid diagnosis of sarcoidosis, representing an age- and gender-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio of 36.8 (95% CI 26.7-50.9).

Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with celiac disease, there was a significantly increased risk of sarcoidosis when compared with the American white population. This further strengthens prior associations that have been made suggesting a shared mechanism behind the etiologies of celiac disease and sarcoidosis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Celiac Disease / complications*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sarcoidosis / epidemiology*
  • Sarcoidosis / pathology
  • Sex Distribution
  • White People / statistics & numerical data*