Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study

Background and objective Appendectomy may modulate the risk of inflammatory bowel disease through an effect on the gut microbiota. This study investigated the associations between appendectomy and incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), with an emphasis on the influence of age...

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Main Authors: Marie-Elise Parent, Canisius Fantodji, Prevost Jantchou, Marie-Claude Rousseau
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2022-11-01
Series:BMJ Open Gastroenterology
Online Access:https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000925.full
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author Marie-Elise Parent
Canisius Fantodji
Prevost Jantchou
Marie-Claude Rousseau
author_facet Marie-Elise Parent
Canisius Fantodji
Prevost Jantchou
Marie-Claude Rousseau
author_sort Marie-Elise Parent
collection DOAJ
description Background and objective Appendectomy may modulate the risk of inflammatory bowel disease through an effect on the gut microbiota. This study investigated the associations between appendectomy and incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), with an emphasis on the influence of age and time post appendectomy.Methods This cohort study included 400 520 subjects born in Québec in 1970–1974 and followed until 2014. Administrative health data were used to ascertain appendectomy and cases of CD and UC. Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent variables (appendectomy and time elapsed post appendectomy) allowed for the estimation of HRs and 95% CIs.Results A total of 2545 (0.6%) CD cases and 1134 (0.3%) UC cases were identified during follow-up. Appendectomy increased the risk of CD (HR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.66 to 2.44), especially when performed at 18–29 years of age. The risk of CD was increased in the first 2 years, and decreased significantly after ≥15 years post appendectomy. Appendectomy appeared to protect against UC (HR=0.39; 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.71). The risk of UC was not associated with age at appendectomy, but decreased with time elapsed post appendectomy (HR=0.21; 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.72, comparing ≥5 with 0–4 years after appendectomy).Conclusions The increased risk of CD related to appendectomy in young adults may result from detection bias, but physicians should have a low threshold for suspicion of CD in young symptomatic adults with a history of appendectomy. A strong protective effect of appendectomy against UC was observed after 5 years.
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spelling doaj-art-33bf5f5f4c304f05b691cee733bd0b542025-08-20T03:20:54ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Gastroenterology2054-47742022-11-019110.1136/bmjgast-2022-000925Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort studyMarie-Elise Parent0Canisius Fantodji1Prevost Jantchou2Marie-Claude Rousseau3Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, Quebec, CanadaEpidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, Quebec, CanadaCHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Québec, CanadaEpidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, Quebec, CanadaBackground and objective Appendectomy may modulate the risk of inflammatory bowel disease through an effect on the gut microbiota. This study investigated the associations between appendectomy and incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), with an emphasis on the influence of age and time post appendectomy.Methods This cohort study included 400 520 subjects born in Québec in 1970–1974 and followed until 2014. Administrative health data were used to ascertain appendectomy and cases of CD and UC. Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent variables (appendectomy and time elapsed post appendectomy) allowed for the estimation of HRs and 95% CIs.Results A total of 2545 (0.6%) CD cases and 1134 (0.3%) UC cases were identified during follow-up. Appendectomy increased the risk of CD (HR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.66 to 2.44), especially when performed at 18–29 years of age. The risk of CD was increased in the first 2 years, and decreased significantly after ≥15 years post appendectomy. Appendectomy appeared to protect against UC (HR=0.39; 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.71). The risk of UC was not associated with age at appendectomy, but decreased with time elapsed post appendectomy (HR=0.21; 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.72, comparing ≥5 with 0–4 years after appendectomy).Conclusions The increased risk of CD related to appendectomy in young adults may result from detection bias, but physicians should have a low threshold for suspicion of CD in young symptomatic adults with a history of appendectomy. A strong protective effect of appendectomy against UC was observed after 5 years.https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000925.full
spellingShingle Marie-Elise Parent
Canisius Fantodji
Prevost Jantchou
Marie-Claude Rousseau
Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
BMJ Open Gastroenterology
title Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
title_full Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
title_fullStr Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
title_short Appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age and time post appendectomy – a cohort study
title_sort appendectomy and risk for inflammatory bowel disease effect of age and time post appendectomy a cohort study
url https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000925.full
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