Iron deficiency closely associated with increased coeliac disease cases: BMJ

A recent study highlighted that iron deficiency could be the potential link behind the surge in coeliac disease cases. This study assessed the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with iron status and the prevalence of coeliac disease. The key findings of this study was published in the journal of BMJ Open Gastroenterology.

By utilizing the data from three genome-wide association studies (GWAS), Isabel Hujoel and team identified four SNPs that were strongly linked to systemic iron status. However, these SNPs were not associated with known risk factors for coeliac disease. Data from the UK Biobank included a total of 336,638 white British individuals, of whom 1855 had coeliac disease.

The results revealed that individuals with genetically lower iron levels faced an increased risk of coeliac disease. Also, the odds ratio per one standard deviation increase in serum iron was 0.65, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.47 to 0.91. This negative association between higher iron status and coeliac disease risk held true across various analyses, with consistent results in leave-one-out analyses. No single SNP emerged as the sole driver of this observed association.

The MR Egger test for pleiotropy thoroughly assessed the plausibility of MR assumptions. All three assumptions appeared to be plausible which further strengthens the case for a causal relationship between lower iron levels and an elevated risk of coeliac disease.

These findings contribute to improve our understanding of the complex factors that influence coeliac disease and open up new innovations for prevention of this condition. With iron deficiency being a common issue in the coeliac disease, the study encourages to see the potential opportunity for targeted interventions that can help reduce the risk of this autoimmune disorder.

Source:

Hujoel, I. A., & Hujoel, M. L. A. (2024). Investigating the role of iron status in the development of coeliac disease: a Mendelian randomisation study. BMJ Open Gastroenterology, 11(1), e001236. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgast-2023-001236