Objectives: Coeliac disease (CD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) are distinct medical conditions that can share clinical features including gastrointestinal disturbances, malabsorption, and nutritional deficiencies. CD is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten (prolamine storage proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye) while CF is a genetic disorder affecting the CFTR gene, leading to abnormal mucus production that affects multiple organ systems. Although not directly related, there is increasing evidence that people with CF may be at a higher risk for developing CD, posing unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
Methods: We reviewed all CF patients attending Manchester Adult CF centre, later diagnosed with CD and explored their clinical manifestations, laboratory results, histology results with view to understand how these two disorders affect patients individually and when they coexist.
Results: The prevalence of CD in CF patients attending Manchester Adult CF Centre was 1.3:100 which is more than the general UK population (1:100). The average lag time for diagnosing CD in CF patients was 17.25 months. The most common symptom in these patients were unintentional weight loss and laboratory feature was low transferrin saturation levels. In all cases the patient’s symptoms improved after introduction of gluten free diet.
Conclusion: Given the overlapping gastrointestinal manifestations and potential for atypical clinical presentations, a high index of clinical suspicion is warranted for the diagnosis of CD in patients with CF. The observed prevalence of CD within our CF cohort exceeds that of the general UK population, consistent with previously published data. Timely and accurate identification of CD in this population is clinically significant, as institution of a gluten-free diet can mitigate gastrointestinal morbidity, optimize nutritional status, and prevent long-term complications associated with untreated CD.
Methods: We reviewed all CF patients attending Manchester Adult CF centre, later diagnosed with CD and explored their clinical manifestations, laboratory results, histology results with view to understand how these two disorders affect patients individually and when they coexist.
Results: The prevalence of CD in CF patients attending Manchester Adult CF Centre was 1.3:100 which is more than the general UK population (1:100). The average lag time for diagnosing CD in CF patients was 17.25 months. The most common symptom in these patients were unintentional weight loss and laboratory feature was low transferrin saturation levels. In all cases the patient’s symptoms improved after introduction of gluten free diet.
Conclusion: Given the overlapping gastrointestinal manifestations and potential for atypical clinical presentations, a high index of clinical suspicion is warranted for the diagnosis of CD in patients with CF. The observed prevalence of CD within our CF cohort exceeds that of the general UK population, consistent with previously published data. Timely and accurate identification of CD in this population is clinically significant, as institution of a gluten-free diet can mitigate gastrointestinal morbidity, optimize nutritional status, and prevent long-term complications associated with untreated CD.
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