Celiac disease in patients with chronic psychiatric disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in Iranian patients suffering from chronic depression or schizophrenia.


BACKGROUND
Psychiatric disorders are common in untreated celiac disease.


METHODS
Two hundred Iranian inpatient men with in chronic phase of depressive disorders or schizophrenia, and 200 age-matched healthy male subjects were screened for celiac disease by anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies. The mean age of the study patients was 37 years.


RESULTS
One (1%) schizophrenic and two (2%) depressive patients were positive for anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies; duodenal biopsy was not possible in these subjects. In the control group one (0.5%) individual was positive for anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies, but had normal duodenal histology. The difference between patients and controls was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of celiac disease serology in schizophrenic and depressive inpatients was not significantly higher than that in the general population. We would therefore not advocate systematic serologic screening in these patients, but alertness to celiac disease should be kept in mind.
Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Center, Emam Reza Educational Hospital, Tabriz, Iran.
Manouchehr
M
Khoshbaten
Research Center of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases (RCGLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad
M
Rostami Nejad
Nutritional Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Nasrin
N
Sharifi
Psychiatry Research Group, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Ali
A
Fakhari
Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Center, Emam Reza Educational Hospital, Tabriz, Iran.
Mahdyar
M
Golamnejad
Milad Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
Sayed Hassan
SH
Hashemi
Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
Pekka
P
Collin
School of Medicine, University Hospital Birmingham, UK.
Kamran
K
Rostami
Celiac disease; Depression; Schizophrenia; Serologic screening; Tissue transglutaminase antibodies