Turner syndrome and autoimmune diseases: record-linkage study.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence that Turner syndrome is associated with an elevated risk of a range of autoimmune disorders. We aimed to document this in a national study.


METHODS
Use of a record-linked dataset of all hospital admissions in England, 1999-2011, to construct a retrospective cohort of people with Turner syndrome and a control cohort of people without it. Statistical follow-up to identify the occurrence of 29 separate autoimmune disorders in each cohort. Calculation of rate ratios, comparing the Turner and control cohorts.


RESULTS
In the Turner syndrome cohort (2459 people), rate ratios were elevated for 16 of the 29 conditions. Examples included coeliac disease (rate ratio 14.0, 95% CI 10.2 to 18.8), Crohn's disease (5.3, 3.5 to 7.8), ulcerative colitis (3.9, 2.3 to 6.1), hypothyroidism (8.8, 7.8 to 9.9) and hyperthyroidism (4.9, 3.2 to 7.1).


CONCLUSIONS
The increased risk of autoimmune disorders in people with Turner syndrome covers a wide range of conditions.
Unit of Health-Care Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, , Oxford, UK.
Michael J
MJ
Goldacre
Olena O
OO
Seminog
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
Epidemiology; Genetics; Immunology