Sistema Gastrointestinal e Digestivo

Abstrato

Coeliac Disease-Related Antibodies Appearance in a IgA Deficiency Celiac Girl after Starting the Gluten-Free Diet

Raffaella Nenna, Laura Petrarca, Gerarda Mastrogiorgio, Matteo Florio, Chiara Imondi, Maria Bavastrelli, Margherita Bonamico and Fabio Massimo Magliocca

Celiac disease (CD) is a gluten-dependent autoimmune enteropathy which occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. CD can manifest in a typical form (with gastrointestinal symptoms), with an atypical form (iron-deficiency anemia, headache, recurrent aphthous stomatitis) or be asymptomatic (silent form). Over the last decades CD prevalence increased (1.2%), mainly due to the improvement and diffusion of screening tools such as anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. The authors report a case of a 39 months old IgA deficiency girl with a severe abdominal distention and iron deficiency anemia, negative for CD-related antibodies, who was diagnosed celiac. Surprisingly, after six months of gluten-free diet, the patient showed the appearance of IgG class – CD specific antibodies.