Microscopic Colitis and Risk of Incident Acute Pancreatitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Matched Cohort Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Several gastrointestinal diseases have been linked to acute pancreatitis, but the risk of acute pancreatitis in microscopic colitis (MC) has not been studied. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide, population-based, matched cohort study in Sweden of 12,140 patients with biopsy-verified MC (diagnosed in 2003–2017), 57,806 matched reference individuals, and 12,781 siblings without MC with a follow-up until 2021. Data on MC were obtained from all of Sweden's regional pathology registers (n = 28) through the ESPRESSO cohort. Data on acute pancreatitis were collected from the National Patient Register. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox regression. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 9.9 years (SD = 4.3), 146 patients with MC and 437 reference individuals were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis (127.8 vs 80.1 per 100,000 person-years), corresponding to an aHR of 1.57 (95% CI = 1.30–1.90). Moreover, we found a positive association between MC and acute nongallstone-related pancreatitis (aHR 1.99 [95% CI = 1.57–2.51]), but not with acute gallstone-related pancreatitis (aHR 1.08 [95% CI = 0.78–1.49]). Comparing patients with MC with their unaffected siblings yielded an aHR of 1.28 (95% CI = 0.92–1.78). The risk of acute pancreatitis remained elevated also for patients with MC with a follow-up exceeding 10 years (aHR 1.75 [95% CI = 1.14–2.67]). DISCUSSION: This nationwide study of more than 12,000 patients with MC demonstrated an increased risk of acute pancreatitis after MC. Hence, clinicians should have a low threshold for the evaluation of acute pancreatitis in patients with MC. In addition, these patients should receive advice and care aimed at reducing the risk of acute pancreatitis.