title: Lack of association of coeliac disease with idiopathic and ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A prevalence of coeliac disease higher than in the general population has been reported not only in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, a presumable autoimmune disease, but also in patients with ischaemic or valvular cardiomyopathy. The evidence is controversial, however, and the concept itself of an association unrelated to aetiology is intriguing and warrants further testing. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of coeliac disease in a cohort of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy screened for the presence of serum anti-transglutaminase antibodies. We provisionally assessed the sensitivity and specificity of two commercially available kits for tissue transglutaminase antibodies detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We screened for anti-transglutaminase antibodies in 350 consecutive patients with idiopathic (n = 182) and with ischaemic (n = 168) dilated cardiomyopathy using the previously validated method for anti-transglutaminase antibody assay. Coeliac disease diagnosis has been confirmed by duodenal histopathology in patients testing positive at serological screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two coeliac patients (0.6% prevalence) have been identified, one with idiopathic and one with ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy. They presented with iron deficiency anaemia and with recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhoea, respectively, and both had villous atrophy at histopathology. After 1 year on a gluten-free diet, the echocardiographic parameters did not improve in either patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with dilated cardiomyopathies is similar to that reported for the Italian general population. The confounding factor of conditions associated with both coeliac disease and dilated cardiomyopathies may explain the association unrelated to aetiology reported in previous studies mostly based on small sample size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University and Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizzardi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lanzarotto
authors.forename: Nice
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carabellese
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertolazzi
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benini
authors.forename: Savina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nodari
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dei Cas
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results