title: Autoantibodies in relatives of celiac disease patients: a follow-up of 6-10 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autoimmune diseases are 3 to 10 times more frequently in patients with celiac disease and their relatives than in the general population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a broad spectrum of autoantibodies in celiac disease relatives from Southern Brazil, in a serological follow-up of 6-10 years, aiming to associate with other autoimmune diseases, degree of parentage, demographic and clinical data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples of 233 relatives were analyzed in two different phases: n = 186 in phase I (1997-2000) and n = 138 (being 91 = follow-up group and 47 = newly tested) in phase II (2006-2007). As controls, 100 unrelated individuals were evaluated. Autoantibodies to smooth muscle, mitochondrial, liver-kidney microssome, parietal cell and thyroid microssome were tested by indirect immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase of autoantibodies, in both phases, was observed in the relatives when compared to the non-relatives (P = 0.0064), specifically to anti-thyroid microssome and anti-parietal cell. In both phases, the female/male proportion of autoantibodies was of 4:1 to 3:1 (P<0.041). The frequency of autoantibodies amongst 1st and 2nd degree relatives was 11.8% and 9.68% in phase I and 4% and 6.67% in phase II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Celiac disease relatives presented other autoantibodies and serological screening is a useful instrument for identifying autoimmune diseases along the years.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopathology, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Paraná, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Raphaela
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Nass
authors.forename: Lorete Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kotze
authors.forename: Renato M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nisihara
authors.forename: Iara Taborda de
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Messias-Reason
authors.forename: Shirley R da Rosa
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Utiyama
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies