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American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access originally published online on January 19, 2007
American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 165(7):776-783; doi:10.1093/aje/kwk067
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American Journal of Epidemiology Copyright © 2007 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health All rights reserved; printed in U.S.A.

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

A Case-Control Study of Drinking Water and Dairy Products in Crohn's Disease—Further Investigation of the Possible Role of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis

Ibrahim Abubakar1, Deborah J. Myhill1, Andrew R. Hart1, Iain R. Lake2, Ian Harvey1, Jonathan M. Rhodes3, Richard Robinson4, Alan J. Lobo5, Christopher S. J. Probert6 and Paul R. Hunter1

1 School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
2 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
3 School of Clinical Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
4 Department of Gastroenterology, Leicester General Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, United Kingdom
5 Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, United Kingdom
6 Clinical Science at South Bristol, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom

Correspondence to Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar, School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom (e-mail: i.abubakar{at}uea.ac.uk).

Received for publication April 20, 2006. Accepted for publication September 18, 2006.

Similarities between Johne's disease in ruminants and Crohn's disease in humans have led to speculation that Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) might be a causative agent in Crohn's disease. However, evidence remains inconsistent. In this case-control study (1999–2004), the authors assessed the possible role of drinking water and dairy products potentially contaminated with MAP in the etiology of Crohn's disease. A total of 218 patients with Crohn's disease recruited from nine hospitals in England and 812 controls recruited from the community completed a short questionnaire for evaluation of proxy measures of potential exposure to MAP. Logistic regression showed no significant association with measures of potential contamination of water sources with MAP, water intake, or water treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that consumption of pasteurized milk (per kg/month: odds ratio (OR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69, 0.97) was associated with a reduced risk of Crohn's disease. Meat intake (per kg/month: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.67) was associated with a significantly increased risk of Crohn's disease, whereas fruit consumption (per kg/month: OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.92) was associated with reduced risk. This study does not support a role for water or dairy products potentially contaminated with MAP in the etiology of Crohn's disease. The observed association with meat and the negative association with pasteurized milk need further study.

case-control studies; causality; Crohn disease; dairy products; Mycobacterium paratuberculosis; water supply


Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; MAP, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis; OR, odds ratio; SD, standard deviation


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