Parental rheumatoid arthritis and long-term child morbidity: a nationwide cohort study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Parental rheumatoid arthritis and long-term child morbidity

T2 - a nationwide cohort study

AU - Rom, Ane Lilleøre

AU - Wu, Chun Sen

AU - Olsen, Jørn

AU - Jawaheer, Damini

AU - Hetland, Merete Lund

AU - Ottesen, Bent

AU - Mørch, Lina Steinrud

N1 - Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

PY - 2015/12/23

Y1 - 2015/12/23

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the influence of parental rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on child morbidity.DESIGN: Nationwide cohort study.SETTING: Individual linkage to nationwide Danish registries.PARTICIPANTS: All singletons born in Denmark during 1977-2008 (n=1 917 723) were followed for an average of 16 years.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted HRs for child morbidity; that is, 11 main diagnostic groups and specific autoimmune diseases within the International Classification of Diseases 8th and 10th versions.RESULTS: Compared with unexposed children, children exposed to maternal RA ('clinical' and 'preclinical') (n=13 566) had up to 26% higher morbidity in 8 of 11 main diagnostic groups. Similar tendencies were found in children exposed to paternal RA ('clinical' and 'preclinical') (n=6330), with statistically significantly higher morbidity in 6 of 11 diagnostic groups. HRs were highest for autoimmune diseases with up to three times increased risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (HR, 95% CI 3.30, 2.71 to 4.03 and 2.97, 2.20 to 4.01) and increased risk of up to 40% of diabetes mellitus type 1 (HR, 95% CI 1.37, 1.12 to 1.66 and 1.44, 1.09 to 1.90) and up to 30% increased HR of asthma (HR, 95% CI 1.28, 1.20 to 1.36 and 1.15, 1.04 to 1.26). Conclusions were roughly similar for children exposed to maternal clinical RA and for children only followed up to 16 years of age.CONCLUSION: Children of parents with RA had consistent excess morbidity. If the associations reflect biological mechanisms, genetic factors seem to play an important role. These findings call for attention given to children of parents with RA.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the influence of parental rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on child morbidity.DESIGN: Nationwide cohort study.SETTING: Individual linkage to nationwide Danish registries.PARTICIPANTS: All singletons born in Denmark during 1977-2008 (n=1 917 723) were followed for an average of 16 years.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted HRs for child morbidity; that is, 11 main diagnostic groups and specific autoimmune diseases within the International Classification of Diseases 8th and 10th versions.RESULTS: Compared with unexposed children, children exposed to maternal RA ('clinical' and 'preclinical') (n=13 566) had up to 26% higher morbidity in 8 of 11 main diagnostic groups. Similar tendencies were found in children exposed to paternal RA ('clinical' and 'preclinical') (n=6330), with statistically significantly higher morbidity in 6 of 11 diagnostic groups. HRs were highest for autoimmune diseases with up to three times increased risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (HR, 95% CI 3.30, 2.71 to 4.03 and 2.97, 2.20 to 4.01) and increased risk of up to 40% of diabetes mellitus type 1 (HR, 95% CI 1.37, 1.12 to 1.66 and 1.44, 1.09 to 1.90) and up to 30% increased HR of asthma (HR, 95% CI 1.28, 1.20 to 1.36 and 1.15, 1.04 to 1.26). Conclusions were roughly similar for children exposed to maternal clinical RA and for children only followed up to 16 years of age.CONCLUSION: Children of parents with RA had consistent excess morbidity. If the associations reflect biological mechanisms, genetic factors seem to play an important role. These findings call for attention given to children of parents with RA.

U2 - 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208072

DO - 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208072

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26698849

SN - 0003-4967

VL - 75

SP - 1831

EP - 1837

JO - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

IS - 10

ER -