The prevalence of allergic diseases is associated with clinical outcomes in ulcerative colitis

Abstract Background: No evidence regarding the association between the prevalence of allergic diseases and the clinical activity of ulcerative colitis (UC) exists, although several studies have shown the positive association between allergic diseases and onset of UC. Aim: This study aimed to investigate this issue in patients with UC. Methods: We studied 289 Japanese patients with UC. Information regarding allergic diseases (asthma, atopic dermatitis, pollen allergy, food allergy, and drug allergy) diagnosed by a medical doctor, lifestyle, and medical history were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The definition of mucosal healing (MH) was Mayo Endoscopic Score 0. The association between each allergic disease and its multimorbidity with MH was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Pollen allergy was the most common allergic disease (36.3%). Pollen allergy and food allergy were independently positively associated with MH (pollen allergy adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.82 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–3.26]; food allergy adjusted OR: 3.47 [95% CI: 1.26–9.68]). The rate of MH for 0, 1, 2, and 3 or more allergic diseases was 22.6%, 21.3%, 29.7%, and 59.3%, respectively. After adjustment, 3 or more allergic diseases was independently and positively associated with MH (adjusted OR for 3 or more diseases: 8.13 [95% CI: 2.17–34.04], p for trend = 0.020). Conclusions.: In patients with UC, pollen allergy and food allergy were independently positively associated with MH, respectively. Additionally, allergic multimorbidity was independently positively associated with MH.