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. 2019 Feb;7(1):78-89.
doi: 10.1177/2050640618811485. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

The association of celiac disease and allergic disease in a general adult population

Line Lund Kårhus  1 , Tea Skaaby  1 , Anja Lykke Madsen  1 , Betina Heinsbæk Thuesen  1 , Peter Schwarz  2   3 , Jüri J Rumessen  4 , Allan Linneberg  1   3
Affiliations

The association of celiac disease and allergic disease in a general adult population

Line Lund Kårhus et al. United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between allergy and celiac disease (CD) is not clear.

Objective: The objective of this article is to investigate the association of CD and CD antibody positivity with hay fever, asthma and immunoglobulin (Ig)E sensitization in a general adult population.

Methods: A total of 2297 individuals were screened for CD antibodies and underwent allergy testing. CD antibody-positive participants were invited to undergo clinical evaluation including biopsies. Additionally, biobank blood samples from four population-based studies (6423, 973, 1718 and 1101 participants) with data on IgE sensitization to inhalant allergens were screened for CD antibodies. CD antibody-positive participants were screened for serum IgE against food allergens in three biobank studies. CD-antibody positivity was defined as IgA or IgG tissue transglutaminase ≥7 U/ml and/or IgG deamidated gliadin peptide ≥10 U/ml.

Results: The nine participants (0.4%) diagnosed with CD had significantly higher prevalence of IgE sensitization to wheat and dust mites. The prevalence of CD antibody positivity was 0.8% (18/2297), and these participants had a significantly higher prevalence of IgE sensitization to food allergens (Fx5), egg, dust mites and mugwort. In the biobank studies, the prevalence of CD antibody positivity was 0.8% to 1.2%. One study showed a positive association between CD antibody positivity and IgE sensitization for dog, horse and food allergens.

Conclusion: We found a possible association of CD and IgE sensitization to some food and inhalant allergens in the Health2006 study. In further studies, however, we could not consistently replicate these associations.

Keywords: Allergy; antibodies; asthma; celiac disease; epidemiology.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Meta-analyses of the different studies. CI: confidence interval; IgE: immunoglobulin E; OR: odds ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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