Esophageal Eosinophilia and Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Celiac Children: A Ten Year Prospective Observational Study

The association between eosinophilic esophagitis and celiac disease is still controversial and its prevalence is highly variable. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic esophagitis in a large group of children with celiac disease, prospectively followed over 11 years. Methods: Prospective observational study performed between 2008 and 2019. Celiac disease diagnosis was based on ESPGHAN criteria. At least four esophageal biopsies were sampled in patients who underwent endoscopy. The presence of at least 15 eosinophils/HPF on esophageal biopsies was considered suggestive of esophageal eosinophilia; at the same time, eosinophilic esophagitis was diagnosed according to the International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Results: A total of 465 children (M 42% mean age 7.1 years (range: 1–16)) were diagnosed with celiac disease. Three hundred and seventy patients underwent endoscopy, and esophageal biopsies were available in 313. The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia in children with celiac disease was 1.6% (95% CI: 0.54–2.9%). Only one child was diagnosed as eosinophilic esophagitis; we calculated a prevalence of 0.3% (95% CI: 0.2–0.5%). The odds ratio for an association between eosinophilic esophagitis and celiac disease was at least 6.5 times higher (95% CI: 0.89–47.7%; p = 0.06) than in the general population. Conclusion: The finding of an increased number of eosinophils (>15/HPF) in celiac patients does not have a clinical implication or warrant intervention, and therefore we do not recommend routine esophageal biopsies unless clinically indicated.

Doctors' Awareness of Celiac Disease: Survey Results

The aim is to assess the awareness of general practitioners, gastroenterologists and other specialists on the methods of celiac disease diagnosis and treatment. Materials and methods. A single-stage continuous cross-sectional study of celiac disease awareness among general practitioners, gastroenterologists and other specialists was conducted. The level of doctors’ awareness was determined by the anonymous voluntary questionnaire using the questionnaire of 23 items developed on the basis of the Department of Non-Inflammatory Bowel Pathology (supplement). According to the answers to the questionnaire items, the knowledge of doctors in the field of diagnosis, therapy, and tactics of managing patients with celiac disease was evaluated. The study involved 197 doctors of medical organizations in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Statistical processing was performed with the use of Microsoft Excel 2016 software (Microsoft, USA) and the use of descriptive statistics methods. The data is presented in the form of absolute numbers and their fractions. Results. The survey revealed gaps in the doctors’ knowledge on the methods of celiac disease diagnosis and clinical manifestations,the definition of risk groups of patients to be examined to exclude celiac disease, the criteria for prescribing the gluten-free diet, as well as some social aspects. These studies indicate the lack of understanding of the methods of correct diagnosis and the need to improve the knowledge of doctors, the introduction of educational programs, schools for doctors and patients. Conclusion. It is necessary to improve the skills of doctors in celiac disease diagnosis and treatment in order to improve the screening and early diagnosis of celiac disease and related complications

Celiac Disease-Type Tissue Transglutaminase Autoantibody Deposits in Kidney Biopsies of Patients with IgA Nephropathy

An association between celiac disease and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) has been suggested. In celiac disease, in addition to circulating in serum, IgA-class tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies are deposited in the small bowel mucosa and extraintestinal organs. In this case series of IgAN patients with or without celiac disease, we studied whether celiac disease-type IgA-tTG deposits occur in kidney biopsies. The study included nine IgAN patients, four of them with celiac disease. At the time of the diagnostic kidney biopsy serum tTG autoantibodies were measured and colocalization of IgA and tTG was investigated in the frozen kidney biopsies. Three IgAN patients with celiac disease had IgA-tTG deposits in the kidney even though in two of these the celiac disease diagnosis had been set years later. These deposits were not found in a patient with already diagnosed celiac disease following a gluten-free diet. Of the five non-celiac IgAN patients, three had IgA-tTG deposits in the kidney. We conclude that tTG-targeted IgA deposits can be found in the kidney biopsies of gluten-consuming IgAN patients but their specificity to celiac disease seems limited.

Modern Aspects of Celiac Disease Diagnosis in Children

Celiac disease is an immune-mediated systemic disorder caused by gluten in people with genetic predisposition. Celiac disease is characterized by wide range of clinical manifestations (both gastroenterological and extraintestinal), that can complicate the diagnosis. Thus, celiac disease often remains undiagnosed. ESPGHAN has published updated clinical guidelines with adjusted coeliac disease diagnosis algorithms in 2020. It is proposed to determine antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (TGA-IgA) and total IgA within normal content of gluten-containing products in the diet on the first stage of children screening. The diagnosis of celiac disease can be established without small intestine biopsy in case of increased levels of TGA-IgA ≥ 10 of upper limit of normal and presence of antibodies to endomysium (EMA-IgA) in secondary serum. In such cases, ESPGHAN does not recommend any additional genetic testing to confirm celiac disease as it does not increase the reliability of the diagnosis. Antigen tests on class G or A antibodies against native gliadin are not specific and are not recommended for use in the diagnosis of celiac disease.