To determine the prevalence of coeliac disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
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.
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.
This study does not support an association between coeliac disease and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis or the screening of such patients for coeliac disease.