The prevalence of coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: One hundred and sixty patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis were tested for the endomysial antibody. Those found positive were studied further with endoscopic small bowel biopsy.

Results: Only one patient was found to have coeliac disease, and that had already been diagnosed. Thus the prevalence of previously undiagnosed coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis is 0 (95% CI 0-0.24%) and the overall prevalence of coeliac disease is 0.63% (95% CI 0.1-3.5%). These prevalences are not significantly different from the reported prevalences of coeliac disease in the general population.

Conclusions: This study does not support an association between coeliac disease and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis or the screening of such patients for coeliac disease.