European multi-centre study on coeliac disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

• Introduction: Coeliac disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but there is little information about whether this is true for clinically silent CD. Objective: To investigate the frequency of CD in two European populations; one with NHL and another derived from the general population. Methods: A prospective, multi-centre, case-control study in 10 European countries was conducted between May 1998 and April 2001. A total of 1446 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NHLaged over 18 years was collected. The control group consisted of a population of 9676 individuals who were screened for CD. The number of patients with a previous diagnosis of CD and those with silent CD detected by screening were determined in the two groups. Results: The patients with CD had a significantly increased risk of developing NHL [odds ratio (OR) 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-4.9]. This risk was only present in patients with CD diagnosed clinically before the study (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.4-7.9), but not in those with silent CD detected by screening (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.6-2.7). Conclusion: Patients with CD have an increased risk of developing NHL, although this is lower than previously thought. Clinically silent CD is rare in patients with NHL.

Keyword

Coeliac disease

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

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