European multi-centre study on coeliac disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Luisa Mearin, M. a c; Catassi, Carlo d; Brousse, Nicole e; Brand, Ronald b; Collin, Pekka f; Fabiani, Elisabetta d; Schweizer, Joachim J. a c; Abuzakouk, Mohamed g; Szajewska, Hania h; Hallert, Claes i; Farre Masip, Carme j; Holmes, Geoffrey K.T. k; on behalf of the Biomed Study Group on Coeliac Disease and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
[Article] European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 18(2):187-194, February 2006.

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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.

(C) 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.