title: [Screening for coeliac disease currently not indicated].
abstract: Coeliac disease is a common disorder, but most persons with coeliac disease remain undetected because they have only mild aspecific symptoms or are free of symptoms. For a definitive diagnosis small bowel biopsies showing partial or (sub)total villous atrophy are required. The presence of anti-endomysium and/or anti-tissue-transglutaminase antibodies in serum is strongly predictive for coeliac disease. In case of clear clinical suspicion the most straightforward way to diagnose or exclude coeliac disease is by taking endoscopic biopsies from the distal duodenum. When the suspicion is low, determination of the above mentioned antibodies as a first step suffices. At present there are insufficient reasons to initiate population-wide screening for coeliac disease by means of serological testing or individual screening by taking duodenal biopsies during each gastroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kleibeuker
mesh_terms: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008403:Mass Screening; D009426:Netherlands; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic