Screening for coeliac disease

Monday, 23 May 2011 13:04

Screening of 3,850 healthcare volunteers at a health fair in Wyoming, USA, showed 1 in 126 had coeliac disease. While the incidence of diagnosed coeliac disease is reportedly much lower than this figure across the whole nation, the current study findings are consistent with other Western populations.

All volunteers were tested for serum tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and the 31 participants who were found to have positive results were offered the opportunity to have a small bowel biopsy. Eighteen people within this group had a biopsy and all except one were found to have at least partial villous atrophy. Interestingly, the symptoms that were reported by those participating in the study did not predict the outcomes of their test; 44% of those found to have biopsy-proven coeliac disease were asymptomatic.

Population screening for coeliac disease remains controversial.

Reference: Katz et al. 2011. American Journal of Gastroenterology. DOI:10.1038/ajg.2011.21