title: Prevalence of coeliac disease in diabetic children and adolescents in Sweden.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the minimum prevalence of coeliac disease in a group of 459 diabetic children and adolescents. Six patients were already known to have coeliac disease. A total of 436 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus aged 2-21 years and with age at onset at 2 months to 17 years at three paediatric departments agreed to participate in the study. All patients were tested for gliadin IgA antibodies with a commercial kit (Pharmacia Gluten IgA EIA). Later, serum was tested for reticulin IgA/IgG antibodies. Nineteen patients had elevated gliadin IgA levels (> 25 AU). Eighteen underwent jejunal biopsy. Ten had total or subtotal villous atrophy. These 10 patients were reticulin IgA-positive. Of 417 gliadin IgA-negative patients, 408 were reticulin IgA/IgG-negative. Of 6 reticulin IgA-positive patients, 3 had total or subtotal villous atrophy. All 3 had become gliadin IgA-positive at the time of biopsy. Among 3 reticulin IgG-positive patients with IgA deficiency, 2 had total villous atrophy: 1 was not willing to be biopsied. Patients with total or subtotal villous atrophy were judged as having coeliac disease and were recommended a gluten-free diet. Within 2 months, gliadin IgA levels were normal in patients adhering to the diet. Five patients have gone through a second jejunal biopsy to date with normal histology in all 5. The 15 newly diagnosed patients with coeliac disease plus 6 already known patients with coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus gave a minimum prevalence of coeliac disease in diabetic children and adolescents of 21/459 = 4.6%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bordås Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sigurs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Elfstrand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viander
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007583:Jejunum / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G