title: Celiac disease seropositivity in Saharawi children: a follow-up and family study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Celiac disease (CD) is a common disease in the Saharawi population of Arab-Berber origin. Saharawi patients with CD and their families were invited to participate in a follow-up study aimed at checking the CD serology status in patients being treated with the gluten-free diet (GFD) and investigating the prevalence of CD in first-degree relatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 975 subjects (62.8% females and 37.2% males, age range 0.7 to 75.4 years, median age 13.4 years) belonging to 212 families, by determining the serum immunoglobulin A anti-transglutaminase and anti-endomysial antibody levels. Thirty-two first-degree relatives were already receiving GFD when tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 42.2% of the 244 treated subjects with CD showed a borderline/positive anti-transglutaminase determination, and 36.6% were also anti-endomysial positive. The serologic family screening detected 33 previously undiagnosed CD cases. The 65 affected first-degree relatives were sibling (42), mother (12), son/daughter (7), and father (4). The overall prevalence of CD among first-degree relatives was 65 of 763 (8.5%, 95% confidence interval 6.5-10.5). Based on our previous estimate of CD prevalence in the pediatric Saharawi population (5.6%), the sibling relative risk was 1.5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of CD in the Saharawis is only modestly increased in first-degree relatives compared with the general population, probably because of the higher frequency of CD predisposing genes in the general population. Saharawi patients with CD receiving GFD showed poor adherence to the treatment, which could contribute to residual CD-related morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Analysis Laboratory, G Di Cristina Children's Hospital, Palermo, Spain.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teresi
authors.forename: Mimì
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crapisi
authors.forename: Maria Dolores Cantarero
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.forename: Stefania Paola
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Castellaneta
authors.forename: Ruggiero
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Francavilla
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravelli
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Menegazzi
authors.forename: Mahana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Louali
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catassi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D018912:Arabs; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D011503:Transglutaminases