Enterovirus infection during pregnancy is not a risk factor for celiac disease in the offspring.
BACKGROUND
There is a strong genetic influence on the susceptibility to celiac disease but it is also evident that environmental factors play a role in the development of the disease. Diverging studies about adenovirus infection as a possible triggering factor in the pathogenesis have been reported. Our study was undertaken to determine whether enterovirus infection during pregnancy is a risk factor for the development of celiac disease later in childhood.


METHODS
Cord blood from 76 mothers whose children developed celiac disease before 15 years of age were analyzed for IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies for enteroviruses and Ig-A endomysium antibodies. The control group comprised cord blood from 327 mothers with children without known celiac disease.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in antibody titers for enterovirus between the two groups. IgA-endomysium antibodies were elevated in 3 of the 76 mothers, whereas none had known celiac disease.


CONCLUSIONS
This study does not show that enterovirus infection during pregnancy is associated with the development of celiac disease in childhood. Of the mothers whose children developed celiac disease, 4% had Ig-A endomysium antibodies, which may reflect a silent celiac disease.
Carlsson
Annelie K
AK
Department of Pediatrics, University of Lund, University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. annelie.carlsson@skane.se
Lindberg
Bengt A
BA
Bredberg
Anders C A
AC
Hyöty
Heikki
H
Ivarsson
Sten-A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G