CHICAGO — A history of foodborne infections nearly triples the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, based on data from a population-based study of nearly 40,000 adults.
“We have seen increased incidence of both colitis and Crohn's disease in recent years,” said Dr. Henrik Nielsen of Aalborg (Denmark) Hospital. The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease remains uncertain, Dr. Nielsen said at the annual Digestive Disease Week. Previous studies have suggested a role for environmental factors, including infections, but few of these studies have included long-term follow-up data.
Dr. Nielsen and his colleagues used laboratory registries from 1991 to 2003 to identify 13,148 adults with a history of Salmonella or Campylobacter gastroenteritis, as well as 26,216 controls without a history of these infections. The researchers followed the study population for up to 15 years, with an average follow-up period of 7.5 years.
A first-time diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the follow-up period was reported in 107 individuals with a history of Salmonella or Campylobacter infections, compared with 73 controls. The risk of IBD was independent of age and sex, and it was similar for both pathogens. In the group with the history of infections, the odds ratio for IBD was 2.9 during the entire follow-up period and 1.9 if the first year after infection was excluded.
“We documented both short-term and long-term increased risk of IBD following confirmed infections,” Dr. Nielsen said. The study could not prove causality because of its retrospective nature, but the results may contribute to a better understanding of the etiology of IBD as more research is done, he added.
The findings also emphasize the importance of food safety for disease prevention, Dr. Nielsen said at a press conference. The increased volume of imported foods and changes in food production may create more challenges for safe food handling, he said.
Dr. Nielsen had no financial conflicts to disclose.
To view a video interview of Dr. Nielsen, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDVlFRfYojI