European multi-centre study on coeliac disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
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 NHL aged 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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Mearin
M Luisa
ML
Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. m.l.mearin_manrique@lumc.nl
Catassi
Carlo
C
Brousse
Nicole
N
Brand
Ronald
R
Collin
Pekka
P
Fabiani
Elisabetta
E
Schweizer
Joachim J
JJ
Abuzakouk
Mohamed
M
Szajewska
Hania
H
Hallert
Claes
C
Farré Masip
Carme
C
Holmes
Geoffrey K T
GK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged