Prevalence of Celiac Disease in People with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A new study finds the prevalence of developing celiac disease (CD) in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is similar to the general population. CD is an autoimmune disease caused by the body's reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, leading to inflammation in the small intestine. While the exact causes of autoimmune diseases are unknown, similar to lupus, researchers believe CD is caused by factors related to genetic predisposition and environmental exposures. 

Researchers reviewed 14 clinical studies, investigating the prevalence of biopsy-verified CD in people with SLE. Of the 1,238 people with SLE examined, researchers discovered a prevalence of 0.7% or 1 in 149 people were living with both SLE and CD. However, they did not find any associations between CD prevalence and research characteristics, demographics, and quality assessment scores. 

While the study does not support standardizing routine screenings for CD in people with SLE, individual screenings based on clinical suspicion and other risk factors for CD may be appropriate. Learn more about common diseases that overlap with lupus.

Read the study