COMPARING FREQUENCY OF CELIAC DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE I AND NON-DIABETIC, HEALTHY PERSONS

Several studies and research have shown a higher prevalence of celiac disease (CD) and elevation of serum antibody (AGA-IgA & IgA-tTG & EMA-IgA) in patient with diabetes mellitus type I (T1DM) in versus general and non-diabetic population. Thus screening of CD is recommended in T1DM). This study was conducted to compare frequency of celiac disease in patients with T1DM and healthy persons. As a case-control study,60 patient with T1DM that reffered to endocrine clinic of Qazvin’s Boo-Ali hospital, in nearly one year period were enrolled as case group. 60 non-diabetic healthy subjects with age and sex matched, were selected as control group. Blood levels of Total IgA, AGA-IgA and IgA-tTG were measured in all of them, subjects who had elevated of both AGA-IgA and IgA-tTG underwent an upper GI endoscopy and biopsy was done from distal part of duodenum. Any one in case group hadnt IgA deficiency. 14 subjects in control and 12 subjects in case group had positive AGA-IgA that there was no significant difference between them. 2 subject of case group had positive IgA-tTG. Duodenal biopsy in 1 of 14 cases who had elevated AGA-IgA)1 of 2 cases who had elevated IgA-tTG), revealed total villous atrophy indicating CD (Type IIIC with revised Marsh criteria 2001) and in other cases pathologic findings were normal or with nonspecific changes. Frequency of CD in T1DM in our study is 1.67%. There is not any significant difference between case and control groups in prevalence of Celiac disease. But we conclused that screening with AGA-IgA is not a reliable screening test for CD, because there is not significant difference between T1DM and general population.