title: Prevalence of celiac disease among symptom-free children from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiological studies of celiac disease (CD) among Saudi children have been performed only within some groups who are at a high risk of developing CD. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD among symptom-free children from the public schools of the military campus of National Guard in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2012 and 2014, serum samples were collected from 1141 students (age 6-18 years) attending nine public schools of the military campus of National Guard in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Participants were screened for CD by testing for anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (IgA-tTG) and IgG antibodies (IgG-tTG). Small intestinal biopsy was offered to all participants who tested positive for IgA-tTG [IgA-tTG >20 relative units (RU)/ml].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1141 participants, 32 were IgA-tTG positive. Thus, the estimated serology-positive prevalence was 3%. An intestinal biopsy was performed in 10 of the participants with antibody positivity. The biopsy findings of all 10 children were consistent with CD. Thus, the estimated biopsy-confirmed prevalence was about 1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of CD was estimated to be about 1% among symptom-free children from the public schools of the military campus of National Guard in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ministry of National Guard, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Maher M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al Hatlani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000378:metabolism; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C049937:anti-IgA; C048844:anti-IgG; C038767:immunoglobulin B; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins