[Incidence of celiac disease in patients with chronic diarrhea].

OBJECTIVE

To study prevalence of celiac disease (CD) among patients with chronic diarrhea (ChD).

METHODS

Serum levels of IgA-antibodies to gliadin, endomysium, reticulin and tissue transglutaminase were examined in 206 patients with CD. Biopsies were obtained from a distal portion of the duodenum or a proximal portion of the jejunum.

RESULTS

CD was diagnosed in 35 (16.9%) of 206 patients with ChD. The disease was typical in 5 (2.4%) patients and was latent in 30 (14.5%) patients. Antibodies to gliadin, endomysium, reticulin and tissues transglutaminase in diagnostically significant titers were detected in the serum of all the examinees with CD. Formation of the antitissue antibodies occurred because of destructive-dystrophic alterations of the connective tissue of the lamina propria mucosae pointing to the autoimmune nature of a pathological process in celiac disease.

CONCLUSIONS

To diagnose CD in ChD patients, it is necessary to supplement standard examination with duodenobiopsy, tests for antibodies to gliadin, tissue transglutaminase and to tissue structures--endomysium and reticulin.