The risk of renal comorbidities in celiac disease patients depends on the phenotype of celiac disease

• Published in: Journal of internal medicine Vol. 292; no. 5; pp. 779 - 787
• Main Authors: Nurmi, Rakel, Pasternack, Camilla, Salmi, Teea, Hervonen, Kaisa, Koskinen, Inka, Järvelin, Jutta, Huhtala, Heini, Collin, Pekka, Mustonen, Jukka, Kaukinen, Katri, Mäkelä, Satu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Autoimmune diseases; Celiac disease; Celiac Disease - complications; Celiac Disease - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Dermatitis; Dermatitis herpetiformis; Dermatitis Herpetiformis - complications; Dermatitis Herpetiformis - epidemiology; Diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent); Diabetic nephropathy; end‐stage renal disease; Glomerulonephritis; Glomerulonephritis - complications; Glomerulonephritis - epidemiology; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - complications; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - epidemiology; Health hazards; Health risks; Humans; IgA nephropathy; Immunoglobulin A; kidney disease; Kidney diseases; Kidneys; Marshes; Nephritis; Original; Patients; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Retrospective Studies; Risk; Statistical models; celiac disease; kidney disease; IgA nephropathy; end-stage renal disease; glomerulonephritis; dermatitis herpetiformis
• ISSN: 0954-6820; 1365-2796; 1365-2796
• DOI: 10.1111/joim.13532

Background An increased risk of kidney disease in patients with celiac disease has been reported, but the association has remained obscure. Only few studies have investigated the association between renal comorbidities and dermatitis herpetiformis, a cutaneous manifestation of celiac disease. Objectives We investigated whether patients with different phenotypes of celiac disease are at higher risk of kidney diseases than age‐ and sex‐matched references. Methods The diagnoses of glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, interstitial nephritis, and end‐stage renal disease obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Register between 1970 and 2015 were identified in celiac disease (Marsh III, n = 1072) and dermatitis herpetiformis (n = 368) patients diagnosed at Tampere University Hospital catchment region and in 4296 reference subjects. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we compared the risk of kidney diseases between patients and references. The study protocol was approved by the Regional Ethics Committee of Tampere University Hospital (R16090). As the study was register based, no consent from patients was required. Results Even after adjusting for type 1 diabetes, celiac disease was associated with an elevated risk of kidney disease (hazard ratio [HR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–3.03), glomerulonephritis (HR 3.37, 95% CI 1.64–6.95), and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) (HR 18.98, 95% CI 2.29–157.63). No similarly elevated risk was found among dermatitis herpetiformis patients (HR 1.50, 95% CI 0.63–3.55; HR 2.21, 95% CI 0.77–6.38; and HR 5.87, 95% CI 0.53–64.79, respectively). Conclusion Celiac disease patients were at increased risk of kidney diseases, notably IgAN. The risk was dependent on the celiac disease phenotype and was not seen in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Awareness of possible renal manifestations is recommended when treating celiac disease patients.