Tag Archives: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Quantifying the Risk of Autoimmunity for Celiac Disease

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A recent study (MR Khan et al. JPGN 2019; 69: 438-42) examined the rates of autoimmune disorders (AD) among patients with celiac disease (CD) (n=249) compared to a control group (n=498) over an 18 year period (1997-2015). The authors utilized the  a database of medical records via the Rochester Epidemiology Project (Mayo Clinic/Olmstead County).

Key findings:

  • Five years after the index date, 5.0% of CD patients and 1.3% of controls had a de novo AD diagnosis
  • In the pediatric age group, there was an increased risk of AD: 5/83 (7.3%) of CD patients and 0/179 (0%) developed a AD diagnosis at the 5-year mark
  • The authors note that they observed a lower rate of Hashimoto thyroiditis after the diagnosis of CD, likely indicating a protective role of a gluten-free diet
  • Thyroid disorders, type 1 DM, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis were the most common AD identified in patients with CD

Limitations:

  • Retrospective study
  • Adherence with GFD was not assessed

My take: Screening for AD periodically is worthwhile in patients with CD, particularly thyroid disorders and type 1 diabetes which accounted for ~80% of the autoimmune conditions identified.

Briefly noted: R Ahawat et al. JPGN 2019; 69: 449-54. In this study with 38 newly-diagnosed CD, the authors found a high prevalence of low vitamin D (25OHD) levels (65.8%) -defined as <30 ng/mL; however, the control population had a higher rate of 79.3%.  While the authors advocate checking vitamin D levels due to the risk of bone disease, it is noted that bone mineral density and vitamin deficiencies frequently improve with a gluten-free diet (Related post: Celiac studies)

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Is Autoimmunity Associated with Nonceliac Wheat Sensitivity?

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According to a recent study (A Carroccio, et al. Gastroenterol 2015; 149: 596-603), patients with nonceliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) (aka. nonceliac gluten sensitivity or wheat intolerance syndrome) are more prone to developing autoimmune disorders compared with patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Given the difficulty identifying NCWS, the findings must be viewed cautiously; in addition, much of this study was a retrospective study.

Background: The authors identified 131 patients diagnosed with NCWS (121 female) with a mean age of 29 years.  They compared these individuals to control groups of patients with either celiac disease (CD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  In addition to the retrospective study, the authors prospectively examined 42 patients diagnosed with NCWS (2011-2014).  These diagnoses were established by double-blind placebo-controlled wheat challenge.

Key findings:

  • In the retrospective analysis, 29% of NCWS patients and 29% of CD developed autoimmune diseases (mainly Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, 29 cases) compared with a smaller proportion of subjects with IBS (4%) (P<.001).
  • In the retrospective analysis, 46% of NCWS, 24% of CD and 2% of IBS developed ANA antibodies (median titer 1:80).
  • In the prospective arm, 24% of NCWS, 20% of CD, and 2% of IBS subjects developed autoimmune disease.
  • Similarly, in the prospective arm,  28% of NCWS, 7.5% of CD and 6% of U+IBS developed ANA antibodies (median titer 1:80).
  • ANA positivity was associated with the presence of HLA DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes (P<.001).  ANA positivity, to a lesser extent, was associated with the presence of duodenal lymphocytosis (grade A histology).

The authors note that “these associations strongly suggest a celiac condition, but it must be emphasized that all the patients we included were negative for CD-specific antibodies and showed normal intestinal villi” with a gluten challenge.

Potential limitations included a selection bias of patients referred to this tertiary center.

My take: This study suggests significant overlap between CD and NCWS.  The real frequency of autoimmunity in NCWS is unclear as this study population is not likely representative of most patients who go gluten-free.

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