OBJECTIVE: The measles virus has been implicated as a possible etiological agent in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Measles infection at an early age is associated with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative neurological condition caused by persistent measles infection of the central nervous system. We sought to determine whether infection with measles virus at an early age was also associated with an increased risk of developing IBD. METHODS: Patients with measles infection diagnosed before the age of 5 yr were identified through the diagnostic indices of the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Epidemiology Project. A questionnaire was used to ascertain a subsequent history of IBD, which was confirmed by records from the subjects' physicians. The risks of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were calculated relative to expected rates for these conditions in the Olmsted County, Minnesota population. RESULTS: Of 1164 eligible cases, 662 (57%) completed the questionnaire. There were six confirmed cases of Crohn's disease and six of ulcerative colitis. The expected number of cases was 1.9 for Crohn's disease (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-6.8) and 2.0 for ulcerative colitis (SIR 3.0, CI 1.1-6.5). There was a trend towards a higher risk of developing IBD with an earlier age of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Early measles infection is associated with an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The risk may be higher with earlier infection.
OBJECTIVE: The measles virus has been implicated as a possible etiological agent in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Measles infection at an early age is associated with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative neurological condition caused by persistent measlesinfection of the central nervous system. We sought to determine whether infection with measles virus at an early age was also associated with an increased risk of developing IBD. METHODS:Patients with measles infection diagnosed before the age of 5 yr were identified through the diagnostic indices of the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Epidemiology Project. A questionnaire was used to ascertain a subsequent history of IBD, which was confirmed by records from the subjects' physicians. The risks of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were calculated relative to expected rates for these conditions in the Olmsted County, Minnesota population. RESULTS: Of 1164 eligible cases, 662 (57%) completed the questionnaire. There were six confirmed cases of Crohn's disease and six of ulcerative colitis. The expected number of cases was 1.9 for Crohn's disease (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-6.8) and 2.0 for ulcerative colitis (SIR 3.0, CI 1.1-6.5). There was a trend towards a higher risk of developing IBD with an earlier age of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Early measles infection is associated with an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The risk may be higher with earlier infection.
Authors: Jennifer Richler; Rhiannon Luyster; Susan Risi; Wan-Ling Hsu; Geraldine Dawson; Raphael Bernier; Michelle Dunn; Susan Hepburn; Susan L Hyman; William M McMahon; Julie Goudie-Nice; Nancy Minshew; Sally Rogers; Marian Sigman; M Anne Spence; Wendy A Goldberg; Helen Tager-Flusberg; Fred R Volkmar; Catherine Lord Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2006-04