Evaluation of Respiratory Function Tests in Patients with Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a common malabsorptive bowel disease caused by gluten sensitivity that affects other organs of the body in addition to the gastrointestinal tract, such as the liver, brain, and respiratory system. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the pulmonary volumes in patients with celiac disease in Kerman city.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on all adult patients with celiac disease in the Celiac Registry in Afzalipour Hospital. All patients whose records were complete were included in the study. At this stage, height and weight were measured, and their demographic information was recorded in a checklist. Then, according to the standard conditions, spirometry was performed. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

The study cases comprised 58 patients with celiac disease. The average age of the patients was 37.59±18.02 years. The mean height was 157.22±14.30 cm and the mean weight was 57.09±17.06 kg. The results showed that the mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 3.15±0.93 L, the mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 2.68±0.76 L, the mean ratio of FEV1 to FVC 83.06 ± 5.56%, and the mean of peak expiratory flow (PEF) was 6.64±1.61 L.

The results of this study indicated pulmonary volumes in celiac patients were lower than the normal age- and sex-matched population. Further studies to follow up and assess respiratory problems in these patients are needed.