Table 2

Epidemiological features of coeliac disease patients related to the presence (group 1) or absence (group 2) of associated autoimmune (AI) diseases. Column A: dermatitis herpetiformis included as AI disease; column B: dermatitis herpetiformis regarded as not an AI condition (in six of 42 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, other AI diseases occurred)

Coeliac disease patients		Group 1				Group 2			p Value
Coeliac disease patients		A	B			A	B		A	B
Mean age (y)	43.2	43.9		37.6	38.05		< 0.0005^2-150	<0.001^2-150
Mean age at diagnosis (y)	35.7	37		28.3	29		< 0.00004^2-150	<0.00001^2-150
Mean “actual” gluten exposure (y)	31.2	32.2		32.6	32.8		NS^2-150	NS^2-160
Males	45/127	20/91		83/295	108/331		NS^2-160	NS^2-160
Females	82/127	71/91		212/295	223/331		NS^2-160	NS^2-160

↵2-150 Unpaired Student's t test;
↵2-160 χ² test.