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Prevalence of coeliac disease in diabetic children and adolescents

A multicentre study

  • Gastroenterology/Hepatology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Screening for coeliac disease (CD) with serum antigliadin antibodies (AGA) was performed in 1032 diabetic children and adolescents. In 8 children CD had been diagnosed before study entry. Of the remaining 1024 children, 33 had an elevated AGA titre in the first serum sample. On follow-up an elevated AGA titre was confirmed in only 17 of 31 patients. Nine of the repeatedly positive patients underwent jejunal biopsy, and CD was diagnosed in two asymptomatic patients; both were positive for IgG- and IgA-AGA. Among 10 AGA-positive patients in whom biopsies could not be performed, only 1 showed IgA-AGA and thus carried a high risk for CD. From our results we estimate a prevalence of CD in Swiss and German diabetic children between 1.1% and 1.3%. Falsepositive AGA titres occurred significantly more often in patients with diabetes duration of less than 1 year. AGA testing teached a specificity of 99% if performed at least 1 year after the onset of diabetes. Children suffering from both diabetes and CD showed a diabetes manifestation at a significantly younger age than non-coeliac patients, whereas CD tended to be diagnosed at a remarkably late age.

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Abbreviations

AGA:

antigliadin antibodies

CD:

coeliac disease

FIST:

fluorescent immunosorbent test

IDDM:

insulindependent diabetes mellitus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitäts-Kinderklinik, Moorenstrasse 5, D-4000, Düsseldorf 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    S. Koletzko, B. Koletzko & U. Wendel

  2. Kinderklinik der Universität, Basel, Switzerland

    A. Bürgin-Wolff & W. Ruch

  3. Kinderklinik der Universität, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany

    W. Burger & G. Herz

  4. Kinderklinik der Universität, Ulm, Federal Republic of Germany

    A. Thon

  5. Kinderklinik der Universität, Bern, Switzerland

    K. Zuppinger

  6. Institut für Medizinische Statistik und Biomathematik, Düsseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany

    M. Knapp

  7. Diabetes-Forschungsinstitut an der Universität, Düsseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany

    D. Grüneklee

Authors
  1. S. Koletzko
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  2. A. Bürgin-Wolff
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  3. B. Koletzko
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  4. M. Knapp
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  5. W. Burger
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  6. D. Grüneklee
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  7. G. Herz
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  8. W. Ruch
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  9. A. Thon
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  10. U. Wendel
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  11. K. Zuppinger
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Koletzko, S., Bürgin-Wolff, A., Koletzko, B. et al. Prevalence of coeliac disease in diabetic children and adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 148, 113–117 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445915

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445915

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