Celiac Disease-Related Conditions: Who to Test?

Celiac disease (CeD) is a chronic immune-mediated condition triggered by gluten consumption in genetically predisposed individuals. Approximately 1% of the general population is affected by the disorder. Disease presentation is heterogeneous and, despite growing awareness among physicians and the public, it continues to be underestimated. The most effective strategy for identifying undiagnosed CeD is proactive case finding through serologic testing in high-risk groups. We reviewed the most recent evidence on the association between CeD and more than 20 conditions. In light of this review, CeD screening is recommended in individuals with (1) autoimmune disease and accompanying symptoms suggestive of CeD; (2) diseases that may mimic CeD (eg, irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and microscopic colitis); and (3) among patients with conditions with a high CeD prevalence: first-degree relatives, idiopathic pancreatitis, unexplained liver enzyme abnormalities, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, hyposplenism or functional asplenia with severe bacterial infection, type 1 diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease, Sjögren's syndrome, dermatitis herpetiformis, recurrent aphthous syndrome and enamel defects, unexplained ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, delayed menarche or premature menopause, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, IgA nephropathy, and IgA deficiency. CeD serology should be the initial step in the screening process. However, for patients with any of the aforementioned disorders who are undergoing upper endoscopy, biopsies should be performed to rule out CeD.

Guidelines for best practices in monitoring established coeliac disease in adult patients.

Coeliac disease (CeD) is an immunological disease triggered by the consumption of gluten contained in food in individuals with a genetic predisposition. Diagnosis is based on the presence of small bowel mucosal atrophy and circulating autoantibodies (anti-type 2 transglutaminase antibodies). After diagnosis, patients follow a strict, life-long gluten-free diet. Although the criteria for diagnosis of this disease are well defined, the monitoring phase has been studied less and there is a lack of specific guidelines for this phase. To develop a set of clinical guidelines for CeD monitoring, we followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Statements and recommendations with the level of evidence were developed and approved by the working group, which comprised gastroenterologists, pathologists, dieticians and biostatisticians. The proposed guidelines, endorsed by the North American and European coeliac disease scientific societies, make recommendations for best practices in monitoring patients with CeD based on the available evidence. The evidence level is low for many topics, suggesting that further research in specific aspects of CeD would be valuable. In conclusion, the present guidelines support clinicians in improving CeD treatment and follow-up and highlight novel issues that should be considered in future studies.

A new biodegradable stent in bilio-pancreatic diseases: a prospective multi-center feasibility study

Introduction: biodegradable stents of various designs arereportedly used in pancreato-biliary conditions with promising results. Their major advantage is the avoidance ofrepeat endoscopic procedure for stent removal, therebyreducing overall costs and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) associated adverse events. Theaim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and safetyof a new biodegradable stent in patients with pancreato-biliary diseases.Methods: a prospective multicenter pilot study was performed. All consecutive patients ≥ 18 years old whounderwent biliary or pancreatic stenting using the new biodegradable Archimedes stent were included in the study.There were three biodegradation profiles. Technical andclinical success and feasibility and safety were assessedduring a pre-established follow-up schedule.Results: fifty-three patients (mean age: 48.54 ± 19.29, 66 %male) with biliary (n = 29, 54.7 %) or pancreatic (n = 24,45.3 %) indications were included. The distribution of stentsused according to degradation properties were as follows:fast (n = 11, 20.8 %), medium (n = 16, 30.2 %) and slow (n =26, 49.1 %). The technical and clinical success were 100 %and 77.8 %, respectively. Thirty-five patients were followedfor a median of 26 weeks (range: 4-56, 66 %). There werenine procedure-related adverse events (17 %), all mild,including one uneventful stent-related event (externalmigration).Conclusion: the biodegradable Archimedes stent placementis feasible and safe in pancreato-biliary diseases. (AU)

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for rebleeding following device-assisted enteroscopy therapy of small-bowel vascular lesions

INTRODUCTION: the aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for rebleeding following device-assisted enteroscopy therapy of small bowel vascular lesions. METHODS: this is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search was performed from January 2003 to October 2019. All studies reporting on at least one risk factor for bleeding recurrence after endoscopic therapy of small bowel vascular lesions were included. A meta-analysis of those risk factors reported in at least three studies was performed to assess their association with rebleeding. The OR and 95 % CI were used for binary outcome data. Heterogeneity analysis was performed using the Tau and I2 index. If I2 > 20 %, potential sources of heterogeneity were identified by sensitivity analyses and a random-effect model was used. RESULTS: the search identified a total of 572 articles and 35 full-text records were assessed for eligibility after screening. Finally, eight studies that included 548 patients were selected. The overall median rebleeding rate was 38.5 % (range: 10.9-53.3 %) with a median follow-up of 24.5 months. Female sex (OR: 1.96, 95 % CI: 1.14-3.37, p = 0.01, I2 = 0 %), Osler-Weber syndrome (OR: 4.35, 95 % CI: 1.22-15.45, p = 0.02, I2 = 0 %) and cardiac disease (OR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.12-2.97, p = 0.005, I2: 0 %) were associated with rebleeding. According to the sensitivity analysis, overt bleeding (OR: 2.13, 95 % CI: 1.22-3.70, p = 0.007, I2 = 0 %), multiple lesions (OR: 4.57, 95 % CI: 2.04-10.22, p < 0.001, I2 = 0 %) and liver cirrhosis (OR: 2.61, 95 % CI: 1.11-6.13, p = 0.03, I2 = 0 %) were also predictors for rebleeding. CONCLUSIONS: patient characteristics and comorbidities should be considered for follow-up patient management after effective device-assisted endoscopic therapy, as they can predict rebleeding

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