Journal Article

Impact of celiac disease on the clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease: CEL_(E)II study by GETECCU

Brunet-Mas, Eduard, Hernandez-Camba, Alejandro, Segura, Patricia Sanz, López Romero-Salazar, Francisco, Riestra, Sabino, Pérez-Galindo, Pablo, García-Brenes, Miguel A., Gisbert, Javier P., Madero Velázquez, Lucia, Ferrer, Cristina Suarez, Alonso-Abreu, Inmaculada, Ortega Moya, Silvia Patricia, García de la Filia Molina, Irene, Rodríguez-Lago, Iago, Sánchez-Azofra, María, Arranz, Laura, Botella Mateu, Belén, Yagüe-Caballero, Carmen, Ramos, Laura, Castro Senosiain, Beatriz, Manceñido Marcos, Noemí, Calafat, Margalida, Gutiérrez, Ana, Taxonera, Carlos, Carrillo-Palau, Marta, Bastón-Rey, Iria, Rojas-Feria, María, Caballero Mateos, Antonio M., Chaparro, Maria, Vicente Lidón, Raquel

2026

Overview

Does celiac disease influence the course of inflammatory bowel disease? What was already known? Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease, are digestive disorders caused by an abnormal immune response. Both conditions share some genetic and environmental risk factors and can sometimes occur in the same person. However, it was unclear whether having celiac disease in addition to IBD could make IBD more severe or change its course. What did we want to study? We aimed to compare the course of IBD in patients who also had celiac disease with that of patients with IBD alone, to determine whether the coexistence of both conditions influenced the type of IBD, its severity, or the treatments required. How was the study performed? We conducted a multicenter study including 66 patients with both IBD and celiac disease and compared them with 132 similar patients with IBD without celiac disease. The groups were matched by sex, type of IBD, and year of diagnosis. Medical records were reviewed to collect information on disease extent, symptoms outside the intestine, treatments received, need for surgery, development of cancer, and survival. What did we find? No important differences were observed between patients with and without celiac disease. Both groups showed similar IBD characteristics, including disease extent and behavior. There were also no differences in complications such as perianal disease, use of immunosuppressive or biologic drugs, need for surgery, development of tumors, or mortality. What do these results mean? Having celiac disease in addition to IBD does not appear to worsen the course of IBD or modify its natural history. This information can help reassure patients and clinicians that the coexistence of celiac disease is unlikely to negatively affect IBD outcomes.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,SAGE Publishing
• Subject: Original Research