TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex-differences in Gluten-free Dietary Adherence and Clinical Symptoms in Patients with Long-term Treated Dermatitis Herpetiformis
AU - Pasternack, Camilla
AU - Hervonen, Kaisa
AU - Mansikka, Eriika
AU - Reunala, Timo
AU - Kaukinen, Katri
AU - Salmi, Teea
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Academy of Finland, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation and Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility Area of Tampere University Hospital (grants 9AA026, 9AA070, 9AB068).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, Medical Journals/Acta D-V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Dermatitis herpetiformis is a blistering autoimmune skin disease, and a cutaneous manifestation of coeli-ac disease. The burden of coeliac disease is increased especially in females, but studies concerning sex differences in patients with long-term treated dermatitis herpetiformis are scarce. This questionnaire study compared adherence to a gluten-free diet, clinical symptoms and well-being between females and males in a cohort of 237 long-term treated (median 24 years) patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Females had better adherence to a gluten-free diet (p = 0.022) and they used dapsone significantly less often at the time of the study than did males (4% vs 13%, p = 0.017). The occurrence of skin symptoms was equal in both sexes, but dermatological quality of life was lower in females (p = 0.024), and gastrointestinal symptoms were more severe among females with dermatitis her-petiformis than among males (p = 0.027). In conclusi-on, long-term treated female patients with dermatitis herpetiformis have better adherence to a gluten-free diet, but they also experience more severe clinical symptoms compared with males.
AB - Dermatitis herpetiformis is a blistering autoimmune skin disease, and a cutaneous manifestation of coeli-ac disease. The burden of coeliac disease is increased especially in females, but studies concerning sex differences in patients with long-term treated dermatitis herpetiformis are scarce. This questionnaire study compared adherence to a gluten-free diet, clinical symptoms and well-being between females and males in a cohort of 237 long-term treated (median 24 years) patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Females had better adherence to a gluten-free diet (p = 0.022) and they used dapsone significantly less often at the time of the study than did males (4% vs 13%, p = 0.017). The occurrence of skin symptoms was equal in both sexes, but dermatological quality of life was lower in females (p = 0.024), and gastrointestinal symptoms were more severe among females with dermatitis her-petiformis than among males (p = 0.027). In conclusi-on, long-term treated female patients with dermatitis herpetiformis have better adherence to a gluten-free diet, but they also experience more severe clinical symptoms compared with males.
KW - dermatitis herpetiformis
KW - gastrointestinal symptoms
KW - gluten-free diet
KW - quality of life
KW - sex differences
U2 - 10.2340/actadv.v102.1072
DO - 10.2340/actadv.v102.1072
M3 - Article
C2 - 35393627
AN - SCOPUS:85130636816
SN - 0001-5555
VL - 102
JO - ACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA
JF - ACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA
M1 - adv00713
ER -