Persistent-positive coeliac serology tied to hypothyroidism risk

Persistent-positive coeliac serology appears to predict the risk of hypothyroidism among the paediatric population, according to a study.

Using a large population-based electronic medical record database, authors of this study examined a cohort of individuals aged 1‒80 years with a positive IgA antitissue transglutaminase between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012 and a repeat antitissue transglutaminase test within 6‒36 months.

Based on serology tests, paediatric (age <21 years) and adult cohorts were categorized into normalized or persistent-positive serology groups. The authors followed all participants for an incident diagnosis of hypothyroidism from the last serology date up to 31 December 2017.

Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the association of coeliac serology group with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, adjusted for age, sex, and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Over a median follow-up of 64 months in the paediatric cohort (n=2,687), 2.3 percent (16/681) of the persistent-positive serology group and 1.0 percent (20/2,006) of the normalized serology group developed hypothyroidism (HR, 2.07, 95 percent CI, 1.07‒4.44; adjusted HR, 1.77, 95 percent CI, 0.91‒3.46).

In the paediatric cohort, the rate of coeliac disease diagnosis was 3.4 percent (10/486) vs 1.0 percent (5/481; HR, 2.83, 95 percent CI, 0.96‒8.32). In the adult cohort (n=1,286), 4.5 percent (20/442) of the persistent-positive group and 3.9 percent (33/811) of the normalized serology group developed hypothyroidism (HR, 1.13, 95 percent CI, 0.65‒1.97).

“Prospective cohorts are needed to validate our findings,” the authors said.