BACKGROUND AND AIM: Several case reports indicate a link between coeliac disease (CD) and sarcoidosis. Our main objective was to investigate the risk of subsequent sarcoidosis in individuals with CD in a general population cohort study. A second aim was to estimate the risk of CD in individuals with prior sarcoidosis.

METHODS: We used Cox proportional hazards method to calculate the risk of subsequent sarcoidosis in 14,349 individuals who had received a diagnosis of CD (1964-2003) and 69,998 age- and sex-matched individuals without a diagnosis of CD. Subjects were identified through the Swedish national Inpatient Register. Conditional logistic regression was used to study the risk of CD associated with prior sarcoidosis.

RESULTS: CD was associated with an increased risk of sarcoidosis (Hazard ratio (HR) = 4.03; 95% CI = 2.32-7.00; p < 0.001), and was not notably affected by adjustment for socioeconomic index. In individuals with CD listed as the main diagnosis, the HR was 3.66 (95% CI HR = 1.80-7.45; p < 0.001). Prior sarcoidosis was associated with an increased risk of CD (Odds ratio = 3.58; 95% CI = 1.98-6.45; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Immune characteristics of CD may be linked to an increased risk of sarcoidosis.