[Prevalence of celiac disease in apparently healthy blood donors in the autonomous community of Madrid].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease among the adult population of Madrid by measuring antibodies against tissue transglutaminase as serologic screening method.


METHODS
2,215 subjects participated voluntarily in this study. All of them completed a clinical questionnaire. We determined the levels of total IgA and antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (tTG). An intestinal biopsy by endoscopy was proposed to all subjects who were tTG-positive. The histologic lesion was classified in accordance to Marsh.


RESULTS
Three known CD cases were identified by the questionnaire. Eleven donors with tTG positivity were detected, all of them asymptomatic. Four subjects rejected the intestinal biopsy. Seven out of 11 positive subjects consented to undergo a duodenal biopsy -3 had villous atrophy and 4 had increased intraepithelial lymphocyte counts with normal villi. In our study the number of donors with biopsy-proven CD was 6, and the prevalence was 1/370. If we include the subcategories of gluten sensitive enteropathy (Marsh I), the prevalence would be 1/222. When we considered antibody positivity the prevalence of gluten sensitivity was 1 in 201, and it reached 1 in 158 when the three known CD cases were included.


CONCLUSIONS
Data on CD prevalence in this study confirm that CD is a first-line healthcare problem that may warrant universal screening. We detected a high number of lymphocytic enteritis cases, and thus some sort of action is mandatory.
García Novo
M D
MD
Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid.
Garfia
C
C
Acuña Quirós
M D
MD
Asensio
J
J
Zancada
G
G
Barrio Gutiérrez
S
S
Manzanares
J
J
Solís Herruzo
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015995:Prevalence; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins