Ethnic Distribution of Microscopic Colitis in the United States.

Publication/Presentation Date

11-1-2015

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A large electronic database of histopathology reports was used to study the ethnic distribution of microscopic colitis in the United States.

METHODS: Miraca Life Sciences is a nation-wide pathology laboratory that receives biopsy specimens submitted by 1500 gastroenterologists distributed throughout the United States. In a case-control study, the prevalence of microscopic colitis in 4 ethnic groups (East Asians, Indians, Hispanics, and Jews) was compared with that of all other ethnic groups (composed of American Caucasians and African Americans), serving as reference group.

RESULTS: A total of 11,706 patients with microscopic colitis were included in the analysis. In all ethnic groups alike, microscopic colitis was more common in women than men (78% versus 22%, odds ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval = 3.26-3.55). In all ethnic groups, the prevalence of microscopic colitis showed a continuous age-dependent rise. Hispanic patients with microscopic colitis were on average younger than the reference group (59.4 ± 16.2 years versus 64.2 ± 13.8 years, P < 0.001). Jewish patients with microscopic colitis were slightly older than the reference group (65.6 ± 13.4 years, P = 0.015). Compared with the reference group (prevalence = 1.20%), microscopic colitis was significantly less common among patients of Indian (prevalence = 0.28%, odds ratio = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = 0.13-0.65), East Asian (0.22%, 0.19, 0.14-0.26), or Hispanic decent (0.48%, 0.40, 0.36-0.45) and significantly more common among Jewish patients (1.30%, 1.10, 1.01-1.21).

CONCLUSIONS: Microscopic colitis shows striking variations of its occurrence among different ethnic groups. Such variations could point at differences in the exposure to environmental risk factors.

Volume

21

Issue

11

First Page

2634

Last Page

2639

ISSN

1536-4844

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

26226142

Department(s)

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Document Type

Article

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