Coeliac autoimmunity in type I diabetes mellitus

Clinical and demographic comparison of celiac disease diagnosed during adulthood versus childhood and adolescence: A single-center experience

Background and Aim

Celiac disease (CeD) is mainly reported from the northern and western parts of India. In central India, it is believed to be a disease of children, with limited data among adults diagnosed for the first time after the age of 18 years. Hence, we aimed to describe CeD's clinical and demographic features among adults and children/adolescents in central India.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of all patients diagnosed for CeD from 2010 to 2019. The disease in adults was confirmed when symptoms developed for the first time after 18 years and had positive anti-transglutaminase antibodies with villous atrophy on duodenal biopsy. It was compared with pediatric patients with CeD diagnosed during the same time period.

Results

Of the 170 patients diagnosed with CeD, 118 were adults and 52 were children or adolescents. The mean age of presentation of adult CeD was 37.3 ± 11.93 years, while in the pediatric and adolescent group it was 9.19 ± 5.4 years. Classical presentation with chronic, painless, small-bowel-type diarrhea was seen in 44.1% of adults compared to 57.7% in the pediatric age group. Among the adult patients, 55.9% presented with nonclassical symptoms, which included abdominal pain (40.7%) and weight loss (36.4%). The common presenting symptom in children other than diarrhea was weight loss (50%) and abdominal pain (34.6%).

Conclusion

CeD is common in central India, with an increasing number of patients being diagnosed for the first time after 18 years of age and presenting more often with nonclassical symptoms.

Increased prevalence of fracture and hypoglycaemia in young adults with concomitant type 1 diabetes mellitus and coeliac disease

BACKGROUND

Both Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and coeliac disease (CD) are independently associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. Whilst poorer glycaemic control and increased microvascular complications have been described, the literature examining bone health and fractures in adults with concomitant T1DM and CD (T1DM + CD) is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate fracture prevalence and explore associations with glycaemic control, hypoglycaemia and microvascular disease in T1DM + CD compared with T1DM alone.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of young adults with T1DM, who attended diabetes clinics at a large tertiary referral centre between August 2016 and February 2017. Clinical information, radiological and biochemistry results were extracted from medical records. Patients with comorbid chronic kidney disease, glucocorticoid use, hypogonadism and untreated hyperthyroidism were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 346 patients with T1DM alone (median age 23 years) and 49 patients with T1DM + CD (median age 24 years) were included. Median age, gender distribution, BMI, haemoglobin A1c, daily insulin dose and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were similar between groups. Higher adjusted fracture risk was observed in T1DM + CD compared with T1DM (12.2% vs 3.5%; OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.01-12.12, P = .01), yet BMD was only measured in 6% of patients. The adjusted risk of hypoglycaemia ≥2/week was greater for T1DM + CD (55% vs 38%, OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.61-6.69, P = .001); however, this was not independently associated with fractures. Replete vitamin D (≥ 50 nmol/L) was associated with less hypoglycaemia (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.80; P = .005), but not with fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

Coeliac disease status was independently associated with increased fracture prevalence in young adults with T1DM. Recurrent hypoglycaemia was also increased in T1DM + CD, although hypoglycaemia was not independently associated with fractures. Prospective studies are required to determine the long-term impacts of CD on bone health and glycaemic control in patients with T1DM.

Endocrine manifestations in celiac disease

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune small intestinal mucosal disorder that often presents with diarrhea, malabsorption and weight loss. Often, one or more associated endocrine disorders may be associated with CD. For this review, methods involved an extensive review of published English-language materials. In children and adolescents, prospective studies have demonstrated a significant relationship to insulin-dependent or type 1 diabetes, whereas in adults, autoimmune forms of thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, may commonly co-exist. In some with CD, multiple glandular endocrinopathies may also occur and complicate the initial presentation of the intestinal disease. In others presenting with an apparent isolated endocrine disorder, serological screening for underlying subclinical CD may prove to be positive, particularly if type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid or other autoimmune endocrine diseases, such as Addison’s disease are first detected. A number of reports have also recorded hypoparathyroidism or hypopituitarism or ovarian failure in CD and these may be improved with a strict gluten-free diet.

Prevalence of celiac disease in Indian children with type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients are at an increased risk of having celiac disease (CD). We evaluated the prevalence and clinical profile of CD in children and adolescents with T1D and reviewed the Indian literature to determine prevalence and reasons for variability.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, subjects with T1D were prospectively evaluated with a demographic and gastrointestinal (GI) questionnaire, human IgA-tissue transglutaminase (IgA-tTGA), and endoscopic duodenal biopsy in serology positive patients. Studies evaluating prevalence of CD in T1D from India were reviewed.

RESULTS

Fourteen (13.6 %) of the 103 (52 boys, 13 years [2-20]) T1D patients were IgA-tTGA (182 U [47-300]) positive and 3.8 % (4/103) had villous atrophy on histology. Subjects with T1D and CD (n = 4) were younger at onset of T1D (32.5 ± 12.6 vs. 110.5 ± 53.8 months; p < 0.005) and more often had GI symptoms (pain abdomen [2/4 vs. 6/89; p = 0.01], stool frequency of 2-3/day [3/4 vs. 38/89; p = 0.004]) than screen negative T1D (n = 89). Growth and glycemic control were not different between the groups. In the 7 Indian studies involving 915 children and adults, 13.8 % (8 % to 17.8 %) T1D were serology positive. Prevalence of CD was reported as 6.9 % (2.3 % to 11.1 %), but only 3.1 % (2.3 % to 4.2 %) had villous atrophy on histology.

CONCLUSIONS

Potential CD and CD were present in 13.6 % and 3.8 % children with T1D respectively. T1D with CD have onset of diabetes at younger age and were more often symptomatic than screen negative T1D.

Seroprevalence of coeliac disease in at-risk subjects at the main tertiary hospital, southwest of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Coeliac disease (CD) is a gluten-induced autoimmune inflammation of small bowel villi, leading to atrophy and malabsorption. The current study aims to assess the prevalence of CD in high-risk subjects in the Aseer region, southwest of Saudi Arabia and to investigate the associated presentations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective case-finding study of the laboratory records for a 3-year period (2009-2012) at the main tertiary hospital (Aseer Central Hospital). Serum anti-tissue transglutaminase (atTG) and endomysial antibody (EmA) levels were determined along with small intestinal histopathological examination.

RESULTS

The proportion of cases that tested positive for at least one coeliac antibody marker was 18.4% (58/315). Forty cases underwent endoscopic examination during the analysis, among which 22 were confirmed to have CD. The individual antibody positivity for atTG and EmA was 17.5% and 15.6%, respectively. The most common clinical condition (47%) associated with these markers was type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Interestingly, gastrointestinal presentations constituted only 11.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of CD among hospital requests, including non-gastrointestinal symptomatic patients, at the Aseer main tertiary hospital seems to be high. Determining the prevalence of CD and also investigating the high-risk group commonly affected by CD warrant more screening studies.

Reduced Bone Mineral Density Is Associated with Celiac Disease Autoimmunity in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between bone mineral density (BMD), glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]), and celiac autoimmunity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and in an appropriate control population.

STUDY DESIGN

BMD was assessed cross-sectionally in 252 children with T1D (123 positive for anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody [tTGA] and 129 matched children who were negative for tTGA). In addition, BMD was assessed in 141 children without diabetes who carried T1D-associated HLD-DR, DQ genotypes (71 positive for tTGA and 70 negative).

RESULTS

Children with T1D who were positive for tTGA had significantly worse BMD L1-L4 z-score compared with children with T1D who were negative for tTGA (-0.45 ± 1.22 vs 0.09 ± 1.10, P = .0003). No differences in growth measures, urine N-telopeptides, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ferritin, thyroid stimulating hormone, or HbA1c were found. However, both higher HbA1c (β = -1.25 ± 0.85, P = .0016) and tTGA (β = -0.13 ± 0.05, P = .0056) were significant and independent predictors of lower BMD in multivariate analyses. No differences in BMD or other variables measured were found between children without diabetes who were positive vs negative for tTGA.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a synergistic effect of hyperglycemia and celiac autoimmunity on low BMD.

The Role of Gluten in Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes

Celiac disease (CD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) are autoimmune conditions in which dietary gluten has been proven or suggested to play a pathogenic role. In CD; gluten is established as the instigator of autoimmunity; the autoimmune process is halted by removing gluten from the diet; which allows for resolution of celiac autoimmune enteropathy and subsequent normalization of serological markers of the disease. However; an analogous causative agent has not yet been identified for T1D. Nevertheless; the role of dietary gluten in development of T1D and the potentially beneficial effect of removing gluten from the diet of patients with T1D are still debated. In this review; we discuss the comorbid occurrence of CD and T1D and explore current evidences for the specific role of gluten in both conditions; specifically focusing on current evidence on the effect of gluten on the immune system and the gut microbiota.

Prevalence of Beta-Cell, Thyroid and Celiac Autoimmunity in North Indian Children with Recent Onset Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

There is wide variation in the prevalence of pancreatic and other major autoantibodies in different patient populations of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) across continents and even within countries. The data on frequency of associated autoimmunity Indian children with T1D is limited. A retrospective record review of 310 children aged 7.28±3.3 y (range 0.7-15 y) with recently diagnosed T1D attending our Pediatric Diabetes Clinic between April 2004 to September 2014, showed positivity for anti-GAD65, anti-IA2b, anti-TPO and anti-tTGA of 50% (64/128), 16% (12/72), 18.7% (23/123) and 22% (47/212) respectively. The male:female ratio in patients with anti-GAD, anti-TPO and anti-tTG positivity was 1.3, 0.7 and 0.6 respectively. In conclusion, our patient cohort exhibited a moderate prevalence of anti-GAD 65, low prevalence of anti-TPO and high prevalence of anti-tTGA autoantibodies as compared to previous reports. Male preponderance was noted in children with GAD65 positivity.