Autoimmune and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases after exposure to acid-suppressive medication: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Pharmacovigilance risk signals have proposed a relationship between the use of acid-suppressive medications and the development of certain autoimmune and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Objective: A systematic review and a meta-analysis was performed.

Methods: We reviewed MEDLINE (Ovid) and Scopus for comparative observational studies between these diseases and previous exposure to proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), H2-receptor antagonists (H2RA), and antacids. The protocol was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42020192715).

Results: From 3,191 citations, 25 articles were eligible and covered 16 diseases. Microscopic colitis (MC) was studied the most (7 studies). In a random-effects meta-analysis, there was low certainty evidence (GRADE approach) of a non-significant relationship between exposure to any PPIs and MC (meta-OR 3.28, 95% CI 0.98-11.0, I2 98.2%, six studies, 4,436 PPI-exposed MC patients). Moderate certainty evidence pointed towards large odds of collagenous colitis after exposure to lansoprazole (meta-OR 14.5, 95% CI 9.37-22.3, I2 10.2%, three studies, 1,725 lansoprazole-exposed patients). After PPI exposure, the risk of rheumatoid arthritis was slightly increased based on low certainty evidence from two cohort studies totaling 475 diagnoses (meta-RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.12-2.34, I2 34.5%).

Conclusions: In patients with MC, it would be reasonable to carefully review the indication of PPI, especially in CC patients using lansoprazole.

Keywords: Anti-ulcer agents; autoimmune diseases; histamine h2 antagonists; microscopic colitis; pancreatitis; proton pump inhibitors; rheumatoid arthritis.