Prevalence of celiac disease in an urban area of Brazil with predominantly European ancestry.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of celiac disease in a group of volunteer blood donors at a blood bank in the city of Curitiba, Brazil through detection of the serum marker immunoglobulin A (IgA) antitransglutaminase antibody.


METHODS
Blood samples collected from 2086 healthy subjects at the Paraná State Center for Hematology and Hemotherapy in Curitiba were submitted to ELISA testing for the IgA antitransglutaminase antibody. Positive samples received IgA antiendomysium antibody test through indirect immunofluorescence using human umbilical cord as substrate. Subsequently, patients who were positive on both tests underwent small bowel (distal duodenum) biopsy.


RESULTS
Six subjects, four males and two females, tested positive for the two serum markers. Five of the six were submitted to intestinal biopsy (one declined the procedure). Biopsy results revealed changes in the distal duodenum mucosa (three classified as Marsh IIIb lesions and two as Marsh II lesions). Most donors diagnosed having celiac disease presented multiple symptoms (gastrointestinal tract complaints). One donor reported having a family history of celiac disease (in a niece).


CONCLUSIONS
Among apparently healthy blood donors, the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease was approximately 1:417, similar to that seen in European countries.
Pereira
Maria Angélica G
MA
Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Investigation Laboratories (LIM 07), University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ortiz-Agostinho
Carmen L
CL
Nishitokukado
Iêda
I
Sato
Maria-N
MN
Damião
Adérson O M C
AO
Alencar
Marília L
ML
Abrantes-Lemos
Clarice P
CP
Cançado
Eduardo L R
EL
de Brito
Thales
T
Ioshii
Sérgio O
SO
Valarini
Sandra B M
SB
Sipahi
Aytan M
AM
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D011503:Transglutaminases