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Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Jul;11(7):662-666.

High Prevalence of Celiac Disease Among Patients Affected by Crohn's
Disease.

Tursi A, Giorgetti GM, Brandimarte G, Elisei W.

From the Digestive Endoscopy Unit, "Lorenzo Bonomo" Hospital, Andria,
Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Nutrition Unit, "S.
Eugenio" Hospital, Rome, Italy; and Department of Internal Medicine,
Division of Gastroenterology, "Cristo Re" Hospital, Rome, Italy. Reprints:
Antonio Tursi, Galleria Pisani, 4 70031 Andria, Italy (e-mail:
[log in to unmask]).


BACKGROUND:: Recent literature has shown a correlation between Crohn's
disease (CD) and celiac disease, but a prospective study has not been
performed. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease in a
consecutive series of patients affected by CD, in whom the disease was
diagnosed for the first time. METHODS:: From January to December 2004, we
diagnosed 27 patients affected by CD (13 men and 14 women; mean age, 32.3
yrs; range, 16-69 yrs). In all patients, we performed antigliadin,
antiendomysium, and antitransglutaminase antibody tests, and the sorbitol
H2 breath test evaluation. In case of antibodies and/or sorbitol
positivity, esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed for a small bowel
biopsy. RESULTS:: Antigliadin, antiendomysium, and antitransglutaminase
antibody tests were positive in 8/27 (29.63%), 4/27 (14.81%), and 5/27
(18.52%) patients, respectively, whereas the sorbitol H2 breath test was
positive in 11/27 (40.74%) patients: all of them underwent
esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Nine of 11 patients showed signs of duodenal
endoscopic damage, and 5/9 (55.55%) showed histologic features of celiac
disease (18.52% of overall CD population studied): 2 showed Marsh IIIc
lesions (1 patient affected by ileal CD and 1 affected by ileo-colonic CD),
2 showed Marsh IIIb lesions (all of them affected by ileo-colonic CD), 1
showed a Marsh IIIa lesion (1 patient affected by colonic CD).
CONCLUSIONS:: Prevalence of celiac disease seems to be high among patients
affected by CD, and this finding should be kept in mind at the time of the
first diagnosis of CD; a gluten-free diet should be promptly started.

PMID: 15973121 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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