title: Serology in adults with celiac disease: limited accuracy in patients with mild histological lesions.
abstract: Celiac disease (CD) is a gluten-triggered enteropathy, presenting with insidious clinical patterns. It can occasionally be diagnosed in asymptomatic subjects. Our aim was to define the relationship among symptoms at diagnosis, serological markers [tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA), anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) anti-actin antibodies (AAA)] and degree of mucosal damage. A total of 68 consecutive adult patients with CD were enrolled. Intestinal biopsies were scored according to the Marsh classification modified by Oberhuber: I-II minimal lesions or absent villous atrophy; IIIA partial villous atrophy; IIIB-C total villous atrophy (TVA). HLA-typing was done for all patients. No association between clinical presentation and severity of mucosal damage was found. Presence of EMA or tTGA was significantly associated with more severe mucosal damage (P < 0.001). Of 12 patients, 11 with AAA were also positive for TVA. The severity of mucosal damage is the main factor governing the detectability of serological markers of CD. The sensitivity of serological testing is questionable in patients with minimal lesions.
authors.affiliation: Sezione e UOC di Gastroenterologia, DiBiMIS, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy. annalisalicata@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Licata
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arini
authors.forename: Ada M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Florena
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Randazzo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.forename: Piero L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Almasio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxì
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D007070:Immunoglobulin A