High incidence of celiac disease in patients with systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of celiac disease in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The association of autoimmune diseases with celiac disease has been reported, but few publications deal with the combination of SSc and celiac disease.


METHODS
We investigated the presence of anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies and serum antiendomysial antibodies (anti-EMA) in 50 patients with SSc. All subjects were on a gluten-containing diet. Duodenal mucosa histology and biopsy culture were performed in anti-tTG-positive patients; anti-EMA and IgA, IgG1 anti-tTG were detected in culture supernatants.


RESULTS
The incidence of celiac disease in patients with SSc was found to be 8%. Serum anti-tTG antibody-positive results were detectable in 5 out of 50 patients with SSc, but only in 4 of them was the diagnosis confirmed by histological results (Marsh classification).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show an increased prevalence of celiac disease in patients with SSc.
Rosato
Edoardo
E
Department of Clinical Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Allergy Unit, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. edorosato@yahoo.com
De Nitto
Daniela
D
Rossi
Carmelina
C
Libanori
Valerio
V
Donato
Giuseppe
G
Di Tola
Marco
M
Pisarri
Simonetta
S
Salsano
Felice
F
Picarelli
Antonio
A