Family history of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with idiopathic ocular inflammation.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of a family history (FMH) of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients with idiopathic ocular inflammation (OI).

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

METHODS

Medical records of idiopathic OI patients seen between January 1995 and June 2005 in the University of Illinois Uveitis Clinic were screened for a FMH of IBD. FMH included first, second, and third degree relatives.

RESULTS

727 (32.8%) patients had idiopathic OI. 26 of 727 (3.6%) and 10 of 727 (1.4%) reported a FMH of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, respectively. 16 (2.2%) patients with a FMH of indeterminate colitis were excluded from subsequent comparisons. The prevalence of a FMH of IBD among patients with idiopathic OI was 3- to 15-fold higher than the prevalence of UC and Crohn's in the general population (0.055% to 0.27%). Keratoiritis was more common and granulomatous disease less frequent in patients with a FMH of IBD (P = .014 and .019). Patients tested 26.3% with a FMH of IBD, and 66.7% of patients tested with IBD themselves, were HLA-B27 positive (odds ratio [OR] 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77 to 45.8), compared with 40.1% of patients with neither (OR 1.87, 95% CI 0.61 to 6.83).

CONCLUSIONS

A FMH of IBD may be an independent risk factor for the development of OI. In contrast to the subgroup of patients with a personal history of IBD, HLA-B27 may not be an appropriate marker in the subgroup of patients with merely a FMH of IBD, emphasizing the importance of investigating other immunologic factors that may predispose patients with IBD and their relatives to OI.