COVID-19 Infections Linked to Rising Celiac Disease Risk in Swedish Teens Say Scientists
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 16, 2025 5 hours, 48 minutes ago
Medical News:
A Mysterious Link Between a Common Virus and an Age-Old Illness
The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been blamed for everything from lung damage to neurological disorders, but new evidence from Sweden is shedding light on a far less obvious outcome—an unexpected rise in a specific autoimmune disorder among adolescents. A team of researchers from Lund University and Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden, have uncovered a possible association between COVID-19 infections and celiac disease autoimmunity in teenagers aged 13 to 16.
COVID-19 Infections Linked to Rising Celiac Disease Risk in Swedish Teens Say Scientists
This
Medical News report is based on findings from the TRIAD study, a large population-based screening conducted between August 2021 and June 2022, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Sweden. The goal was to determine whether exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus might influence the emergence of certain autoimmune conditions, specifically celiac disease (CD), type 1 diabetes (T1D), and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). The researchers focused on detecting disease-specific autoantibodies—molecules that the immune system mistakenly produces against the body’s own tissues, serving as early warning signs of autoimmunity.
Tracking Autoimmunity in Children and Adolescents
The TRIAD study included 2,315 healthy children and adolescents randomly selected from the Skåne region. After excluding 42 participants already diagnosed with CD, T1D, or AITD, blood samples from 2,273 participants were analyzed. Using advanced PCR-based and radiobinding assays, researchers measured antibody levels specific to SARS-CoV-2 as well as autoantibodies linked to the three autoimmune diseases.
One striking observation stood out. Among adolescents aged 13 to 16, those who tested positive for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGA)—a marker for celiac disease—had a significantly higher rate of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (76.5%) compared to those without tTGA (42.1%). In contrast, there was no similar association found between SARS-CoV-2 infection and autoimmunity for T1D or AITD, suggesting a unique relationship between the virus and celiac disease risk in this age group.
How COVID Might Be Triggering Celiac Disease
So, why might COVID-19 be connected to the early development of celiac disease? The researchers outlined four potential explanations. First, adolescents with ongoing but undiagnosed celiac disease may be more vulnerable to viral infections due to compromised gut immunity. Infections have long been known to act as triggers in autoimmune diseases, especially in genetically predisposed individuals.
Second, COVID-19 might directly disrupt the immune system's balance. The virus is capable of triggering intense immune responses, including cytokine storms that increase gut inflammation and permeability. This could allow gluten—a common protein in wheat, barley, and rye&md
ash;to pass through the intestinal wall and trigger immune attacks against the body’s own tissues. Past studies have even shown elevated levels of tTGA in COVID-19 patients both during and after infection.
Third, the stress of the pandemic itself may have played a role. Social isolation, psychological distress, and disrupted routines have all been linked to the development of autoimmune conditions. In some studies, fewer new cases of celiac disease were diagnosed during the pandemic, possibly due to underreporting or delays in medical visits, rather than a real drop in incidence.
Lastly, the researchers suggest that age could be a critical factor. Children aged 6 to 9 did not show the same increased link between COVID-19 and tTGA as adolescents did. This might point to an “immunological window” during teenage years when certain individuals are more susceptible to developing autoimmunity after viral infections. The gut’s expression of ACE2 receptors—the same receptors SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect cells—is particularly high in intestinal cells, making the digestive tract a prime target for infection-related damage.
No Evidence of a Link to Diabetes or Thyroid Autoimmunity
While early in the pandemic there were concerns that COVID-19 might lead to a rise in type 1 diabetes or thyroid problems, this study found no evidence to support that. Neither insulin nor thyroid-related autoantibodies were more common in individuals who had been infected with the virus. This suggests that any possible autoimmune complications of COVID-19 may be disease-specific or depend on individual risk factors like age, genetics, or pre-existing inflammation.
Wider Implications and What This Means for Parents
For parents and caregivers, the findings raise important concerns. Celiac disease is a lifelong condition that requires strict dietary management to avoid health complications. If COVID-19 can accelerate or trigger this condition in adolescents, routine screening and awareness become even more critical, especially for those with a family history of autoimmune diseases.
The research also serves as a reminder of how viral infections can have delayed and unexpected consequences. As the virus continues to mutate and spread globally, understanding these long-term health effects—especially in younger populations—is vital for healthcare systems, pediatricians, and public health officials.
Strengths and Limitations of the Study
One of the study’s strengths is its population-based design, which included children and adolescents outside of hospital settings, making the results more reflective of the general public. Blood samples were collected using simple home capillary sampling, allowing for large-scale participation. The use of multiple high-precision antibody tests increased the reliability of the data.
However, the researchers acknowledge certain limitations. Only about 12% of the invited families participated, which could introduce selection bias—families concerned about autoimmune diseases or prior COVID exposure may have been more likely to take part. Also, while antibody presence confirms past infection or autoimmunity, it does not establish the timing or cause-effect relationship. Further research is needed to explore whether SARS-CoV-2 directly triggers celiac disease or simply unmasks an underlying tendency.
Conclusions and Future Directions
The study’s conclusions highlight a troubling but important observation. In teenagers aged 13 to 16 years, there appears to be a significant link between past COVID-19 infection and the presence of autoantibodies that mark the early stages of celiac disease. Although this does not confirm that COVID-19 causes celiac disease, it strongly suggests that the virus may act as a trigger in vulnerable individuals. No similar pattern was seen with autoimmune thyroid disease or type 1 diabetes, which may suggest that the gut-specific immune response to SARS-CoV-2 plays a unique role in this connection.
This finding should alert healthcare professionals and families to the need for vigilance in monitoring digestive symptoms in adolescents post-COVID infection, especially those with a genetic predisposition to autoimmune conditions. Moving forward, larger longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms behind this association and to track whether these early autoantibodies evolve into full-blown disease over time. With the ever-changing landscape of viral infections and global health crises, understanding how pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 influence chronic diseases will be crucial for preparing and protecting future generations.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Autoimmunity.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08916934.2025.2490491
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