Celiac disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: Celiac disease (CD) is one of the most common chronic diseases. Celiac disease has been associated with several autoimmune disorders, but the association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as a systemic autoimmune disease is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of biopsy-proven CD in patients with SLE, and to determine the clinical symptoms and laboratory data in these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, SLE patients at a referral clinic were evaluated for gastrointestinal symptoms between March and December 2016. Patients were evaluated by a gastroenterologist, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with intestinal biopsy was performed if deemed necessary. The clinical symptoms, laboratory data, and endoscopy results were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: In total, 130 patients were evaluated in this study. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 40% of the patients. Endoscopy was performed in all SLE patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. Four patients (3%) were diagnosed as having CD based on biopsy results and response to a gluten-free diet. Anti-endomysium antibody (AEA) was found to be 100% sensitive and 99.2% specific for the diagnosis of CD in SLE patients, and anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) had a 50% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Patients with comorbid CD and SLE were significantly more likely to have diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, recurrent oral aphthosis, and anemia. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that a significant association is present between CD and SLE. We found a prevalence of 3% for biopsy-proven CD in patients with SLE, which is five times the prevalence of CD in the general population.

An updated overview of spectrum of gluten-related disorders: clinical and diagnostic aspects.

The incidence of gluten-related disorders (GRDs) continues to increase and its global prevalence is estimated at approximately 5% of the population. Celiac disease (CD), dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), gluten ataxia (GA), wheat allergy (WA), and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are the five major GRDs that present with a wide range of clinical manifestations. The diagnosis of GRDs can be challenging because the typical and atypical clinical manifestations of the GRDs overlap. In this review, the current definitions of gluten-related disorders, focusing on their clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are presented. We concluded that GRDs are usually diagnosed using a combination of clinical features, serological tests, and histopathological findings. Treatment usually involves dietary modification.

MR enterography in nonresponsive adult celiac disease: Correlation with endoscopic, pathologic, serologic, and genetic features.

PURPOSE: To assess small bowel abnormalities on magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in adult patients with nonresponsive celiac disease (CD) and investigate their associations with endoscopic, histopathologic, serologic, and genetic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was carried out between September 2012 and August 2013. After approval by the Ethics Committee of our institution, informed consent was acquired from all participants. Forty consecutive patients with nonresponsive CD, aged 17-76 years, underwent MRE using a 1.5T unit. Sequences included T2 -HASTE, True-FISP, pre- and postcontrast VIBE to assess the quantitative (number of ileal and jejunal folds) and qualitative (fold pattern abnormalities, mural thickening, increased enhancement, bowel dilatation, or intussusception) measures. Endoscopic manifestations were categorized as normal/mild vs. severe. Histopathological results were divided into mild and severe. Genotyping of HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 was performed. Serum levels of tissue-transglutaminase, endomysial, and gliadin antibodies were also determined. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (72.5%) cases showed abnormal MRE. Reversed jejunoileal fold pattern had significant association with severe endoscopic (odds ratio [OR] = 8.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-40.5) and pathologic features (OR = 7.36, 95% CI 1.33-40.54). An increased number of ileal folds/inch was significantly associated with severe MARSH score and positive HLA-DQ8. (P < 0.001 and P = 0.026, respectively). Ileal fold number had the highest areas under the curve for prediction of severe endoscopic (AUC: 0.75, P = 0.009) and pathologic (AUC: 0.84, P < 0.001) findings and positive anti-transglutaminase antibody (AUC: 0.85, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Fold pattern reversal on MRE is highly associated with endoscopic and pathologic features of refractory celiac disease (RCD). Increased ileal folds showed higher correlation with endoscopic-pathologic features, HLA-DQ8, and anti-transglutaminase level. MRE might be more sensitive for detection of increased ileal folds in CD rather than reduction of duodenal and jejunal folds due to better distension of ileal loops. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1096-1106.

Adenoma detection rates in an opportunistic screening colonoscopy program in Iran, a country with rising colorectal cancer incidence.

BACKGROUND: Data on the quality of colonoscopies in populations with rising colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is scarce. We aimed to calculate the adenoma detection rates (ADR), and assess the quality of colonoscopies in an opportunistic screening colonoscopy program in Iran. METHODS: All the colonoscopy and pathology reports of asymptomatic adults over age 50 who underwent screening colonoscopy between June 2007 and March 2013 were reviewed. The colonoscopy quality indicators including ADR were calculated, and patient factors associated with the adenoma detection were determined. RESULTS: A total of 713 asymptomatic adults aged 50 years and older who underwent their first-time screening colonoscopy were included in this study. ADR and advanced-ADR were 33.00% (95% CI: 29.52-36.54) and 13.18% (95% CI: 10.79-15.90), respectively. We observed a significantly higher rate of cecal intubation in patients with fair or better bowel preparation compared to those with poor prep, 90.00% vs. 70.45%, respectively (P < 0.001). Bowel preparation (adjusted OR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.75-3.55), older age (≥60) (adjusted OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.22-2.36), and male gender (adjusted OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01-1.92) were associated with the adenoma detection. CONCLUSIONS: Our ADR in both genders meets and exceeds the recommended colonoscopy quality benchmarks. The polyp and adenoma detection rates in the current study are comparable to those reported from Western countries where the incidence of CRC is traditionally high. These data are in line with the epidemiologic transition of CRC in Iran.

Clinical profile of patients with seronegative celiac disease.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the clinical profile of patients with seronegative celiac disease (SNCD). Background: Celiac disease (CD) is mainly diagnosed based on positive serology and duodenal mucosal atrophy, but some patients have negative serology. Their diagnosis has some limitations; delays in diagnosis are likely accompanied by a poor prognosis and a high risk of developing complications of CD. Methods: In this retrospective study, 1115 patients were evaluated for CD with mucosal atrophy between 2010 to 2020. SNCD diagnosis requires genetic CD predisposition and improvement of both clinical symptoms and regrowth of duodenal villi after 12 months of a gluten-free diet (GFD) for all patients with IgA deficiency, other IgG-based serology for diagnosis of celiac was done and if these antibodies were negative, consider them as possible SNCD. If they had positive DQ2-DQ8 and improvement of clinical symptoms and mucosal atrophy after 12 months of GFD were confirmed SNCD. Results: Of the 1115 study subjects, 27 had SNCD, 1088 had SPCD with a mean age of 29.7±15.7 years (1 to 76 years) in seropositive celiac disease (SPCD) subjects and 37.1±16.3 years (6 to 63 years) in SNCD participants and 19 female patients with SNCD were presented. The BMI of SNCD and SPCD patients were reported 23.9 and 21.4, respectively. In addition, SPCD subjects were more likely but not statistically significant to have a positive family history. Villous atrophy was shown in 100% SNCD and 95.6% SPCD cases. Scalloping and fissuring in duodenal biopsies were reported in 60% of SNCD and 84.5% of SPCD patients. There was some other cause of seronegative villous atrophy including 3 patients with Crohns disease, 2 with common variable immunodeficiency, 2 drug and one patient with peptic duodenitis. Anemia, neurological symptoms, and liver function tests (LFT) abnormality were common extra intestinal manifestations in SNCD individuals. Levels of Thyroid peroxidase (TPO), TSH were measured, it had been detected that SNCD cases had a higher rate of co-occurrence with thyroid diseases also SPCD cases showed a higher rate of co-occurrence with diabetes. Conclusion: Among patients with celiac disease 2.4% are SNCD. SNCD are older than SPCD at the time of diagnosis and have higher BMI. Most common of cause of seronegative enteropathy also is SNCD followed by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), medication use, and duodenitis, in this area.

Epidemiological, Endoscopic, Clinical, and Pathological Features of Patients with Celiac Diseases in Southern Littoral of Caspian Sea.

Background: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder resulting from gluten consumption in genetically predisposed individuals. The present study investigated the epidemiological, endoscopic, and clinicopathological features of patients with celiac disease in the southern littoral of the Caspian Sea. Methods: 140 patients with celiac disease were interviewed and examined regarding demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, and serologic, endoscopic, and pathological findings. Results: 44 (31.4%) of the patients were male and 68.6% were female. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 27.13±13.4 years (ranging from 2 to 60 years). The most common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were bloating (47.8%), abdominal pain (47.1%) and diarrhea (30.7%), respectively. Also, 17 (12.1%) patients did not complain of any GI symptoms.18 (12.8%) patients had aphthous stomatitis, 10.7% had dermatitis herpetiformis, 3.6% suffered from itching without a rash, two (1.4%) mentioned psoriasis and one (0.7%) had lichen planus. 19 (19.7%) of the female patients complained of menstrual bleeding disorders, 4% mentioned infertility, and 2% experienced primary amenorrhea. The most common comorbid condition was hypothyroidism in 16 (11.4%) patients. The most common endoscopic finding was duodenal scalloping (37.25%). In addition, 7.8% of the patients had a normal endoscopic appearance. 43 (30.7%) patients were classified as Marsh IIIC, 25.7% Marsh IIIB, 17.8% Marsh IIIA, 12.8% Marsh II and 12.8% were classified as Marsh I. Conclusion: Since celiac disease can present with non-GI manifestations and the majority of our patients had Marsh III classification, it seems that celiac disease must be considered as a routine screening test in GI clinics, and also, it should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis in other specialty fields.

Prevalence and outcome of COVID-19 among Iranian celiac patients.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and outcome of COVID-19 among Iranian celiac disease patients. Background: Patients with celiac disease (CD) might be at greater risk for opportunistic viral infections. Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) cause of respiratory disorder which spread around the world at the end of 2019. The question is does COVID-19 infection increase the risk of severe outcome and/or a higher mortality in treated celiac disease?. Methods: Data regarding demographic details, clinical history, and COVID-19 infection symptoms among treated celiac disease patients was collected from July 2020 to January 2021 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: A total of 455 celiac disease patients were included in this study. The prevalence of Covid-19 infection among celiac disease patients was 2.4%. Infection among women (72.7%) was higher than the men, and only one overweight man who smoked was hospitalized. Among COVID-19 infected celiac disease patients, the most common symptoms were myalgia 90.9% (10/11), fever, body trembling, headache, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, and anorexia (72.7%). Treatments for COVID-19, included antibiotics (90.9%), pain analgesics (54.5%), antihistamines (27.3%), antivirals (9.1%) and hydroxychloroquine (9.1%). Conclusion: This study shows that treated celiac disease is not a risk factor for severity or higher mortality in patients infected with COVID-19. Women, however, might need extra-protection to prevent COVID-19 infection.

Prevalence of migraine in adults with celiac disease: A case control cross-sectional study.

AIM: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder with various manifestations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) and extra-intestinal symptoms of celiac patients, especially migraine, and compare it with healthy individuals. METHODS: We compared 1000 celiac subjects (CS) registered at our celiac center with the control group for headache-based on International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition criteria and their GI symptoms. Besides, CS with migraine and non-migrainous headache were compared in terms of GI symptoms and accompanied conditions. RESULTS: Headache was more common in CS than controls (34% vs 27% respectively, P value<0.001) and more prevalent in females (71.9% in females vs 28% in males, P value = 0.004). Moreover, the prevalence of migraine in CS was higher than controls (20.7 vs 11.9% respectively, P value<0.001). Furthermore, migraine was more prevalent in females with CD (80% in females vs 19% in males, P value = 0.033), and often without aura (76%). Abdominal pain (76.9%, P value = 0.025), diarrhea (54.9%, P value = 0.002), and constipation (42.9%, P value = 0.011) were the most common GI symptoms in CS with headache and more prevalent in CS with migraine. Conversely, type 1 diabetes mellitus was less common in CS with migraine than in CS with non-migrainous headache. (P value = 0.001). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, female sex (OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.22-1.83, P value < 0.001), and CD (OR 1.36, 95%CI 1.12-1.65, P value = 0.002) were independent predictors of headache, whereas age more than 60 years (OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.50-0.97, P value = 0.032) had a protective effect. CONCLUSION: Headache especially migraine is more prevalent in CS than healthy controls. In addition, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation are more common in CS with migraine than in CS with non-migrainous headaches. Therefore, evaluation of CD in patients with migraine and these simultaneous GI symptoms seems reasonable.

The frequency of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes and celiac disease among the first-degree relatives of patients with celiac disease.

AIM: We evaluated the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes as well as celiac disease (CD) among the first-degree relatives (FDRs) of CD patients, compared with healthy controls, and compared the HLA typing with serologic tests in this population. BACKGROUND: Until now, no study has examined the frequency of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes among the FDRs of Iranian patients with CD. METHODS: In the current case-control study, 100 FDRs of CD patients and 151 healthy controls were included. Demographic characteristics were assessed using a research-made questionnaire. A blood sample was collected from each participant for HLA-DQ typing and measuring serum levels of anti-gliadin and anti-transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies. RESULTS: The mean age of the FDRs of CD patients and controls was 30 and 35 years, respectively. Also, 51% (n=51) of the FDRs and 51.7% (n=78) of controls were female. CD was diagnosed among 3% (n=3) of the FDRs of CD patients. No significant difference was found in terms of the frequency of HLA-DQ alleles between the FDRs of CD patients and controls. Out of 100 FDRs of CD patients, 40% had HLA-DQ2 allele, 16% carried HLA-DQ8 allele, and 4% had both alleles. Surprisingly, the CD was diagnosed in three subjects among 60 FDRs of CD patients with HLA-DQ2 allele (3% of the whole population). This diagnosis was based on the results of serological tests as well as endoscopy and intestinal biopsy. CONCLUSION: CD was confirmed among 3% (n=3) of the FDRs of CD patients. We found that HLA typing is not effective in predicting CD among FDRs of CD patients. Other methods such as serological tests have a higher priority compared with HLA-DQ typing.

Prevalence of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity in Patients with Refractory Functional Dyspepsia: a Randomized Double-blind Placebo Controlled Trial.

Refractory functional dyspepsia (RFD) is characterized by symptoms persistence in spite of medical treatment or H. pylori eradication. No study has yet investigated the presence of gluten-dependent RFD as a clinical presentation of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). Patients with RFD, in whom celiac disease, wheat allergy and H. pylori infection had been ruled out, followed a six weeks long gluten-free diet (GFD). Symptoms were evaluated by means of visual analogue scales; patients with ≥30% improvement in at least one of the reported symptoms after GFD underwent a double-blind placebo controlled gluten challenge. Subjects were randomly divided in two groups and symptoms were evaluated after the gluten/placebo challenge. GFD responders were further followed on for 3 months to evaluate the relationship between symptoms and gluten consumption. Out of 77 patients with RFD, 50 (65%) did not respond to GFD; 27 (35%) cases showed gastrointestinal symptoms improvement while on GFD; after blind gluten ingestion, symptoms recurred in 5 cases (6.4% of patients with RFD, 18% of GFD responders) suggesting the presence of NCGS. Furthermore, such extra-intestinal symptoms as fatigue and weakness (P = 0.000), musculo-skeletal pain (P = 0.000) and headache (P = 0.002) improved in NCGS patients on GFD. Because of the high prevalence of NCGS among patients with RFD, a diagnostic/therapeutic roadmap evaluating the effect of GFD in patients with RFD seems a reasonable (and simple) approach.

A Rare Cause of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a 65-Year-Old Man with History of Polycythemia Vera.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is classified as a myeloproliferative disorder (MPD). Such patients are prone to both thrombotic and hemorrhagic events. Although gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is not a prominent manifestation of PV, it would be life threatening and necessitating hospital admission and blood transfusion if it occurs. GI hemorrhage in these patients may be due to Aspirin usage, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), acquired Von Willbrand disease, Dieulafoy lesion (DL), Mallory Weiss tear, and esophageal and gastric varices. DL is an enlarged, thick-walled artery in the muscularis mucosa with a small submucosal defect. In this case report, we describe a 65-year-old man with history of PV presented with a massive upper GI bleeding. After a therapeutic endoscopic hemostasis failure and reoccurrence of bleeding during hospital admission, an abdominal computed tomography (CT) was ordered, which revealed an aberrant artery originated from aorta directly into the stomach. An angiographic embolization was considered for the patient, which was successfully performed. Our patient was complicated by splenic infarction due to splenic collateral arteries embolization and the overwhelming thrombotic tendency of the patient himself due to the history of PV. Fortunately, our patient's signs and symptoms responded to supportive therapies and eventually he discharged well.

Screening of the adult population in Iran for coeliac disease: comparison of the tissue-transglutaminase antibody and anti-endomysial antibody tests.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Population-based studies for the prevalence of coeliac disease (CD) in west-Asian countries are scarce. We aimed to determine the prevalence of gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE) in the general population of northern and southern Iran, and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the anti-endomysial antibody (EMA) immunofluorescent test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based test for determination of the IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG-Ab) using the human recombinant transglutaminase antigen for the detection of CD in screening the asymptomatic adult population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a stratified random sampling method we enrolled a total of 2799 individuals (1438 from Sari and 1361 from Kerman). The mean age was 33.7 years (range 18-66), with 1398 men. IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and IgA anti-EMA were determined in the serum of all subjects. Those participants with a positive serology for any of the two tests underwent small intestinal biopsy, and were classified according to revised Marsh criteria histologically. A diagnosis of GSE was based on positive serology and a compatible histopathological finding. The maximum likelihood latent class model was used to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the two tests. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cases showed positive IgA tTG-Ab (15 men and 14 women, mean age 35.4 years, range 18-59), whereas only five were simultaneously positive for EMA. Except for two subjects with normal small bowel histology (Marsh 0), all other subjects were found to have biopsy findings compatible with GSE: 18 Marsh I, five Marsh II, three Marsh IIIa and one Marsh IIIc lesions. he prevalence of GSE was 0.96% or 1:104. The sensitivity and specificity of the human-recombinant IgA tTG-Ab assay were 100 and 99%, respectively, whereas the results for IgA EMA were 19 and 100%, respectively. The IgA EMA was positive in cases with advanced mucosal lesions of the small bowel. The mean serum value of IgA tTG-Ab was higher in patients with severe enteropathy compared with those showing slight mucosal changes (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The minimum prevalence of gluten sensitivity among the general population of northern and southern Iran is 1:104. The best screening test for the detection of GSE in the general population is IgA tTG-Ab.

The likelihood ratio and frequency of DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes in Iranian patients with celiac disease.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the likelihood ratio and frequency of DQ2 and DQ8 in Iranian patients with celiac disease (CD). BACKGROUND: The HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8 are the important mediators in the development of celiac disease. A few studies evaluated the frequency of HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8 haplotypes among the Iranian population with low sample size. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, to predict HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 haplotypes, 141(73 male, 78 female) confirmed CD patients compared to 151 healthy controls were enrolled into this study during 2013-2014. HLA DQ2/ DQ8 haplotypes was determined in cases and controls using PCR-SSP technique. RESULTS: DQ2 and DQ8 were positive in 80% (n=111) and 49% (n= 69) of CD patients and 36% (n=61) and 13% (n=21) of control group respectively. Moreover, 32% (n=45) of CD patients and 5.3% (n=8) of the control group were carrier of both haplotypes. In the case group about one-third of patients (32.2%) were positive for carrying both DQ2 and DQ8 heterodimers while only 5.3% (n=8) of the control group were carrier. In addition, the positive likelihood ratio of DQ2 and DQ8 were 1.74 (CI: 1.4- 2.1), and 2.6 (CI: 1.8- 2.7), respectively. CONCLUSION: The result of this study showed that the frequency of DQ8 among our population is higher than those reported by European countries, but it is close to those founded in South America and Middle East. This result suggests that the higher prevalence of HLA DQ8 pattern in Iranian CD patients is similar to non-European patients.

Pathological and Clinical Correlation between Celiac Disease and Helicobacter Pylori Infection; a Review of Controversial Reports.

There are overwhelming reports and descriptions about celiac associated disorders. Although there is a clear genetic association between celiac disease (CD) and some gastrointestinal disorders, there are controversial reports claiming an association between CD and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Different studies indicated the possible association between lymphocytic gastritis and both CD and H. pylori infection, although this evidence is not consistently accepted. Also it was shown that an increase in intraepithelial lymphocytes count is associated with both H. pylori infection and celiac disease. Therefore the following questions may raise: how far is this infection actually related to CD?, which are the underlying patho-mechanisms for these associations? what are the clinical implications? what is the management? and what would be the role of gluten free diet in treating these conditions? PubMed (PubMed Central), Ovid, ISI of web knowledge, and Google scholar were searched for full text articles published between 1985 and 2015. The associated keywords were used, and papers described particularly the impact of pathological and clinical correlation between CD and H. pylori infection were identified. In this review we tried to answer the above questions and discussed some of the recent developments in the pathological and clinical aspects of CD and H. pylori infection.

Opium use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption in relation to pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although several studies have suggested opium as a risk factor for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, larynx, lung, and bladder, no previous study has examined the association of opium with pancreatic cancer. We aimed to study the association between opium use and risk of pancreatic cancer in Iran, using a case-control design. We also studied the association of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with pancreatic cancer, for which little information was available from this population. METHODS: Cases and controls were selected from patients who were referred to 4 endoscopic ultrasound centers in Tehran, Iran. We recruited 316 histopathologically (all adenocarcinoma) and 41 clinically diagnosed incident cases of pancreatic cancer, as well as 328 controls from those with a normal pancreas in enodosonography from January 2011 to January 2015. We used logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, opium use (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.06-3.43) and alcohol consumption (OR 4.16; 95% CI 1.86-9.31) were significantly associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. We did not find an association between ever tobacco smoking and pancreatic cancer risk (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.62-1.39). CONCLUSION: In our study, opium use and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas cigarette smoking was not.

Is it necessary to screen for celiac disease in adult idiopathic osteoporosis?

AIM: the aim of this study was to investigate the necessity of screening for celiac disease in idiopathic osteoporotic patients. BACKGROUND: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are well-known and prevalent complications of celiac disease. However, the relative prevalence of celiac disease among osteoporotic populations is not known, and the benefit of screening for celiac disease among the osteoporotic population remains controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated a total of 560 individuals, 460 with osteoporosis and 100 healthy subjects, from the rheumatology clinic in Imam Khomeini and Shariati hospital by IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) for celiac disease. Then individuals with positive serologic test underwent upper GI Endoscopy & 2nd part duodenum biopsies. The clinical findings were evaluated in both groups and were compared with each other. RESULTS: Five (1.08%) of 460 patients with osteoporosis and 1 (1%) of 100 subjects without osteoporosis had celiac disease by positive serologic & pathology results. Three patients with positive serology & pathology results were female. All patients in osteoporotic group had at least one other symptom of celiac disease. Two of them had anemia and others had chronic abdominal pain, recurrent oral aphtous lesion & chronic bloating. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the prevalence of celiac disease in osteoporotic patients is not high enough to justify recommendation for serologic screening of celiac disease in all patients with idiopathic osteoporosis; but in osteoporotic patients with other celiac or gastrointestinal symptoms and signs, for example iron deficiency anemia, chronic dyspepsia and bloating, constipation or diarrhea and recurrent aphtous lesions, it is necessary to evaluate for celiac disease.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Has Narrowed the Spectrum of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Several studies have shown that a large number of patients who are fulfilling the criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are sensitive to gluten. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a gluten-free diet on gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS. In this double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 148 IBS patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria were enrolled between 2011 and 2013. However, only 72 out of the 148 commenced on a gluten-free diet for up to six weeks and completed the study; clinical symptoms were recorded biweekly using a standard visual analogue scale (VAS). In the second stage after six weeks, patients whose symptoms improved to an acceptable level were randomly divided into two groups; patients either received packages containing powdered gluten (35 cases) or patients received placebo (gluten free powder) (37 cases). Overall, the symptomatic improvement was statistically different in the gluten-containing group compared with placebo group in 9 (25.7%), and 31 (83.8%) patients respectively (p < 0.001). A large number of patients labelled as irritable bowel syndrome are sensitive to gluten. Using the term of IBS can therefore be misleading and may deviate and postpone the application of an effective and well-targeted treatment strategy in gluten sensitive patients.

Mean Polyp per Patient Is an Accurate and Readily Obtainable Surrogate for Adenoma Detection Rate: Results from an Opportunistic Screening Colonoscopy Program.

BACKGROUND The incidence of colorectal cancer is rising in several developing countries. In the absence of integrated endoscopy and pathology databases, adenoma detection rate (ADR), as a validated quality indicator of screening colonoscopy, is generally difficult to obtain in practice. We aimed to measure the correlation of polyp-related indicators with ADR in order to identify the most accurate surrogate(s) of ADR in routine practice. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the endoscopic and histopathological findings of patients who underwent colonoscopy at a tertiary gastrointestinal clinic. The overall ADR and advanced-ADR were calculated using patient-level data. The Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was applied to measure the strength of the correlation between the quality metrics obtained by endoscopists. RESULTS A total of 713 asymptomatic adults aged 50 and older who underwent their first-time screening colonoscopy were included in this study. The ADR and advanced-ADR were 33.00% (95% CI: 29.52-36.54) and 13.18% (95% CI: 10.79-15.90), respectively. We observed good correlations between polyp detection rate (PDR) and ADR (r=0.93), and mean number of polyp per patient (MPP) and ADR (r=0.88) throughout the colon. There was a positive, yet insignificant correlation between advanced ADRs and non-advanced ADRs (r=0.42, p=0.35). CONCLUSION MPP is strongly correlated with ADR, and can be considered as a reliable and readily obtainable proxy for ADR in opportunistic screening colonoscopy programs.

High prevalence of coeliac disease in apparently healthy Iranian blood donors.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Studies about the prevalence of coeliac disease in countries in western Asia are scarce and there is no study on the prevalence of coeliac disease in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of coeliac in healthy, Iranian, blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 2000 apparently healthy blood donors (1580 males, 420 females; mean age 35.5 years, range 18-65 years) at the Tehran Blood Donation Centre during a 4 month period from November 1998 through February 1999. Total serum IgA was measured in all donors, and IgA deficient cases were excluded. All cases were analysed for IgA anti-gliadin (AGA) by an ELISA test and those with positive results were tested for IgA anti-endomysium antibody (EMA) using immunofluorescence. All donors who had a positive serology for both AGA and EMA underwent small intestinal biopsy. The biopsy samples were classified according to revised Marsh criteria (UEGW 2001). RESULTS: Forty-nine cases showed positive IgA AGA (38 males and 11 females, mean age 38.6 years). Of the 49 AGA positive cases 12 were EMA positive. All subjects with positive serology (both AGA and EMA) were found to have small bowel biopsies compatible with gluten sensitive enteropathy. Three of 12 had Marsh I, 4/12 Marsh II and 5/12 showed a Marsh IIIa lesion. CONCLUSION: The minimum prevalence of gluten sensitivity among apparently healthy urban Iranian blood donors is 1/166. Further epidemiological studies in adults from the general population and in high risk groups seems indicated.