Celiac disease in patients with presumed irritable bowel syndrome: a case-finding study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in adult patients with presumed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).


METHODS
Between March 2005 and December 2008, 742 consecutive patients (293 male, median age 43 years, range 18-69 years) fulfilling the Rome II criteria for IBS were prospectively enrolled in the study. IBS was diagnosed via self-completed Rome II modular questionnaires. Anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) serology was checked to initially recognize possible CD cases. Patients with a positive test were offered endoscopic duodenal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of CD.


RESULTS
Thirty two patients (15 male, median age 41 years, range 19-59 years) were found to have organic diseases other than CD. Twenty four patients tested positive for anti-tTG antibodies, and duodenal biopsies confirmed the diagnosis in all of them. Thus, in this patient population with presumed IBS, 3.23% actually had CD.


CONCLUSIONS
CD is common in patients with presumed IBS. Routine screening for CD in patients with symptoms of IBS is recommended.
Jadallah
Khaled Ali
KA
Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdullah University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan. khaled-j@just.edu.jo
Khader
Yousef Saleh
YS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011503:Transglutaminases