Potential celiac disease in type 1 diabetes: a multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of potential celiac disease (pot-CD) in young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and characterize their clinical features.


METHODS
This cross-sectional multicenter study involved 8717 T1DM patients from 31 Italian centers. Information was collected on the total number of T1DM patients, CD patients and pot-CD patients. The following data were collected on pot-CD patients: gender, age at T1DM diagnosis, age at the first CD serological positivity, presence of CD-related symptoms, presence of other autoimmune disorders and treatment with gluten free diet (GFD). One thousand-three-hundred-sixty-one patients who were positive for CD serology were the control group.


RESULTS
CD serological positivity was found in 7.2% T1DM patients. Prevalence of pot-CD was 12.2% (n=77) among CD positive patients: symptoms were present in 12/77; a third autoimmune disorder was found in 15 patients. Prevalence of pot-CD in the control population was 8.4% (n=114; p=0.005). No difference was found with regard to clinical features. Only few symptomatic patients were on GFD both in T1DM and control patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A higher prevalence of pot-CD was found in T1DM patients, that may be ascribed to the routine screening, although the influence of genetic factors cannot be excluded.
Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. franzese@unina.it
Adriana
A
Franzese
Dario
D
Iafusco
Raffaella
R
Spadaro
Olmina
O
Cavaliere
Francesco
F
Prisco
Renata
R
Auricchio
Riccardo
R
Troncone
Giuliana
G
Valerio
D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male