Prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders in adults with common variable immunodeficiency at Specialty Hospital Dr. Bernardo Sepulveda

Abstract

Background: The common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) shows a variable incidence, from 1:15,000 to 1:117,000, whitout gender predominance. The incidence of gastrointestinal manifestations in these patients ranges from 20-60%, and these may be the first and only clinical mafifestation of CVID, while other patients develop gastrointestinal complicatons during the course of it.

Objective: To determinate the prevalence of gastrointestinal manifestations in adult patients with CVID.

Material and method: A descriptive, cross-sectional and observational study was made including patients with CVID attending Primary Immunodeficiency Clinic of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Specialties Hospital, National Medical Center SXXI, Mexico City. All patients underwent gastrointestinal symptoms questionnaire, laboratory, cabinet, endoscopy and breath test for bacterial overgrowth.

Results: We evaluated 17 patients, 8 men and 9 women with an average age of 36 years with a definitive diagnosisi of CVID according to international criteria; 59% had abdominal pain, 53% abdominal distension; only 3 patients (17.6%) reported constipatión; 47% had chronic diarrhea, of wich only 2 (11.8%) had rectal pushing. The diagnoses of gastrointestinal manifestations of this population were: 18% cronic diarrhea, celic disease and bacterialovergrowth, 24% gatrointestinal functional disorder, 12% contipation and 6% dyspepsia. One patient (6%) had nogastrointestinal symptoms.

Conclusions: Prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases in adult patients with common variable immunodeficiency was 94%. There was no gender predominance. It is therefore important the patients with Cvid will conduct a study protocol that includes a complete medical history considering gastrointestinal symptoms and sings, in order todeterminate timely diagnosis and therapeutic approach.