Coeliac disease risk increased among first-degree relatives of patients

First-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with coeliac disease (CD) are at an elevated risk of developing CD, suggests a study.

A team of investigators searched the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus up to 11 January 2024 using keywords related to CD and FDRs. They used random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessed using the Cochran Qtest and the I2 statistic done in STATA 18.

In total, 8,764 studies were screened. Of these, 34 studies involving 10,016 FDRs of CD patients met the eligibility criteria.

Among FDRs, the pooled estimates were 11 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 9‒13) for seroprevalence and 7 percent (95 percent CI, 6‒9) for the biopsy-confirmed CD prevalence. The highest rates were noted among daughters (23 percent) and sisters (14 percent) compared with sons (6 percent) and brothers (9 percent).

In regression analysis, the highest estimates of seroprevalence were observed in Hungary (24 percent) and Cuba (19 percent), while the highest prevalence of biopsy-confirmed CD was reported in Serbia (16 percent) and the US (15 percent).

The most common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were abdominal pain (42 percent), followed by bloating (39 percent) and flatulence (38 percent). Nearly a third (34 percent) of FDRs with CD were asymptomatic. Additionally, pallor (54 percent) was the most common non-GI symptom.

“Approximately one in 14 FDRs of patients with CD is estimated to have CD, with one in four daughters, one in seven sisters, one in 11 brothers, one in 16 sons, and one in 20 fathers and mothers could be affected,” the investigators said.

“Routine screening for FDRs could support early detection and management of CD,” they added.