Serological testing for celiac disease in women with endometriosis. A pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Celiac disease (CD) involves immunologically mediated intestinal damage with consequent micronutrient malabsorption and varied clinical manifestations, and there is a controversial association with infertility. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of CD in a population of infertile women with endometriosis.


METHODS
A total of 120 women with a diagnosis of endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopy (study group) and 1,500 healthy female donors aged 18 to 45 years were tested for CD by the determination of IgA-transglutaminase antibody against human tissue transglutaminase (t-TGA) and anti-endomysium (anti-EMA) antibodies.


RESULTS
Nine of the 120 women in the study group were anti-tTGA positive and five of them were also anti-EMA positive. Four of these five patients were submitted to intestinal biopsy which revealed CD in three cases (2.5% prevalence). The overall CD prevalence among the population control group was 1:136 women (0.66%).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study reporting the prevalence of CD among women with endometriosis, showing that CD is common in this population group (2.5%) and may be clinically relevant.
Aguiar
F M
FM
Sector of Human Reproduction, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Melo
S B Castanheira
SB
Galvão
L Carvalho
LC
Rosa-e-Silva
J C
JC
dos Reis
R M
RM
Ferriani
R A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D011503:Transglutaminases