Association between inflammatory bowel disease and risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies provided inconsistent results regarding the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix. The study aimed to make a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between IBD and risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix.

METHODS

Articles published until April 2021 and regarding the association between IBD and risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix were searched in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, and Google Scholar. Odds ratios (ORs) from case-control studies and relative risks (RRs) from cohort studies with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to generate a pooled effect size and 95% CI using STATA 12.0 software.

RESULTS

The present study finally included seven cohort studies (including 94 144 IBD patients and 53 661 004 HC) and four case-control studies (including 20 267 cases and 60 034 matched controls). The meta-analysis indicated a positive association between IBD and risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix with a random-effects model (OR/RR = 2.46, 95% CI 1.55-3.91, I  = 91.8%, p < 0.001). However, no significant association between IBD and risk of cervical cancer was showed in the study with a random-effects model (OR/RR = 1.54, 95% CI 0.83-2.85, I  = 82.2%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, IBD is associated with a 146% higher risk of abnormalities of uterine cervix. However, the study demonstrated no significant association between IBD and risk of cervical cancer. Thus, a conventional screening for abnormalities of uterine cervix is essential for IBD patients.