Clinical Information

Celiac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue) results from an immune-mediated inflammatory process that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals following ingestion of wheat, rye, or barley proteins.(1) The inflammation in celiac disease occurs primarily in the mucosa of the small intestine, which leads to villous atrophy. Common clinical manifestations related to gastrointestinal inflammation include abdominal pain, malabsorption, diarrhea, and/or constipation. Clinical symptoms of celiac disease are not restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. Other common manifestations of celiac disease include failure to grow (delayed puberty and short stature), iron deficiency, recurrent fetal loss, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (canker sores), dental enamel hypoplasia, and dermatitis herpetiformis. Patients with celiac disease may also present with neuropsychiatric manifestations including ataxia and peripheral neuropathy and are at increased risk for development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The disease is also associated with other clinical disorders including thyroiditis, type I diabetes mellitus, Down syndrome, and IgA deficiency.

Individuals with family members who have celiac disease are at increased risk of developing the disease. Genetic susceptibility is related to specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers. More than 97% of individuals with celiac disease in the United States have DQ2 and/or DQ8 HLA markers, compared to approximately 40% of the general population. For this reason, HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are considered genetic risk factors for celiac disease and are required, but not sufficient, for the disease process to occur.

A definitive diagnosis of celiac disease requires a jejunal biopsy demonstrating villous atrophy.(3) Given the invasive nature and cost of the biopsy, serologic tests may be used to identify individuals with a high probability of having celiac disease. Because no single laboratory test can be relied upon completely to establish a diagnosis of celiac disease, individuals with positive laboratory results may be referred for small intestinal biopsy, thereby decreasing the number of unnecessary invasive procedures (see Celiac Disease Diagnostic Testing Algorithm). In terms of serology, celiac disease is associated with a variety of autoantibodies, including endomysial antibody, tissue transglutaminase (tTG), and deamidated gliadin antibodies.(4) Although the IgA isotype of these antibodies usually predominates in celiac disease, individuals may also produce IgG isotypes, particularly if the individual is IgA deficient. The most sensitive and specific serologic test is tTG IgA isotype, in individuals who produce sufficient total IgA. For individuals who are IgA deficient, testing for tTG and deamidated gliadin IgG antibodies is required.

The treatment for celiac disease is maintenance of a gluten-free diet. In most patients who adhere to this diet, concentrations of associated autoantibodies decline, which is sometimes also accompanied by reconstitution of the small intestinal villi. In most patients, an improvement in clinical symptoms is observed. For evaluation purposes, all serologic tests ordered for the diagnosis of celiac disease should be performed while the patient is on a gluten-containing diet. Once a patient has initiated the gluten-free diet, serologic testing may be repeated to assess the response to treatment. In some patients, it may take up to 1 year for antibody titers to normalize. Persistently elevated results suggest poor adherence to the gluten-free diet or the possibility of refractory celiac disease.

See Celiac Disease Diagnostic Testing Algorithm for the recommended approach to a patient suspected of celiac disease.

An algorithm is available for monitoring the patient's response to treatment, see Celiac Disease Routine Treatment Monitoring Algorithm.