Incidence and distribution of coeliac disease in Campania (Italy): 2011-2013.
BACKGROUND
There exists a wide variation in the reported incidence of coeliac disease in recent decades. We aimed to evaluate the incidence rate of coeliac diagnoses performed in an Italian region, Campania, between 2011 and 2013 and its variation therein.


METHODS
All coeliac diagnoses made from 2011 to 2013 and registered within the Campania coeliac disease register (CeliacDB) were identified. Incidence rates were analysed by sex, age and province of residence, with a Poisson model fitted to determine incidence rate ratios.


RESULTS
We found 2049 coeliac disease diagnoses registered in the CeliacDB between 2011 and 2013; 1441 of these patients were female (70.4%) and 1059 were aged less than 19 years (51.7%). The overall incidence of coeliac disease in Campania was 11.8 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 11.3-12.3) during the study period, with marked variation by age [27.4 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 25.8-29.1) in children under 19 years of age and 7.3 per 100,000 (95% CI 6.8-7.8) in adults] and sex [16.1 per 100,000 person-years in females (95% CI 15.3-16.9) and 7.2 per 100,000 person-years in males (95% CI 6.6-7.8)]. Coeliac disease incidence was roughly similar in Naples, Salerno, Caserta and Avellino, but about half in Benevento. More than 80% of our study population was diagnosed by the combination of positive antitransglutaminase IgA and Marsh 3. More than half of the patients were symptomatic at the time of coeliac disease diagnosis (39.7% had a classical presentation and 21.1% a non-classical one according to the Oslo definition).


CONCLUSIONS
Coeliac disease incidence was roughly similar among Campania provinces, except in Benevento where it was about half, probably due to less awareness of coeliac disease in this area. The incidence of coeliac disease in Campania appears to be lower than that reported by most of the previous literature, suggesting the necessity of new coeliac awareness programmes.
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy ; Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, City Hospital Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK ; Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Fabiana
F
Zingone
Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, City Hospital Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Joe
J
West
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Renata
R
Auricchio
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Rosa
R
Maria Bevilacqua
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Guido
G
Bile
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Patrizia
P
Borgheresi
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Maria
M
Erminia Bottiglieri
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Mariano
M
Caldore
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Capece
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Maria
M
Cristina Caria
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Antonio
A
Crudele
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Rosario
R
Cuomo
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Maria
M
Lucia Garofano
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Nicola
N
Giardullo
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Antonietta
A
Gerarda Gravina
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Luigi
L
Greco
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Patrizia
P
Iannotta
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Paolo
P
Kosova
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Roberto
R
Lamanda
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Basilio
B
Malamisura
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Riccardo
R
Marmo
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Gianfranco
G
Napoli
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Gerardo
G
Nardone
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Maria
M
Pacelli
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Filomena
F
Pascarella
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Elisabetta
E
Riccio
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Gabriele
G
Riegler
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Antonio
A
Rispo
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Alba
A
Rocco
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Marco
M
Romano
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Ottavio
O
Saffiotti
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Paola
P
Saviano
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Italo
I
Sorrentini
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Pietro
P
Speranza
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Carlo
C
Tolone
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Raffaella
R
Tortora
Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Riccardo
R
Troncone
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy ; Campania Region Celiac Network, Campania, Italy.
Carolina
C
Ciacci
Coeliac disease; Italy; clinical presentation; incidence