title: Clinical, pathological, and antibody pattern of latent celiac disease: report of three adult cases.
abstract: We report the clinical, pathological, and serological findings of three adult patients with latent celiac disease. The initial intestinal biopsies, which were normal, were carried out in the first case during an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed for a duodenal ulcer, in the second case for first-degree familiarity with a celiac patient, and in the third case because of the presence of malabsorption symptoms. In all three cases, intraepithelial lymphocytes were within the normal range in the first biopsy and cannot, therefore, be considered as a marker of latent celiac disease. In only two of the three patients was it possible to carry out the search for the serum antibodies connected with celiac disease at the time of the first biopsy. In both these cases, the antijejunal antibodies were present before the development of the intestinal lesions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna dell'Università dell'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Corazza
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Andreani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonvicini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D005903:Gliadin