Endoscopic markers for celiac disease

Updates in the diagnosis and management of coeliac disease

Coeliac disease is a common autoimmune disorder induced by ingesting gluten, the protein component of wheat, barley, and rye. It is estimated that one-in-hundred people worldwide have coeliac disease, of whom the majority remain undiagnosed. Coeliac disease is characterized by a wide range of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms but can also present asymptomatically. Diagnosing coeliac disease depends on the concordance of clinical, serological and histopathological data. However, the diagnosis can be challenging and frequently overlooked. Undiagnosed coeliac disease is associated with an increased risk of complications and detrimental effects on quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease are necessary to reduce the risk of long-term complications.

Detection of duodenal villous atrophy on endoscopic images using a deep learning algorithm

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Celiac disease with its endoscopic manifestation of villous atrophy (VA) is underdiagnosed worldwide. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the macroscopic detection of VA at routine EGD may improve diagnostic performance.

METHODS

A dataset of 858 endoscopic images of 182 patients with VA and 846 images from 323 patients with normal duodenal mucosa was collected and used to train a ResNet18 deep learning model to detect VA. An external dataset was used to test the algorithm, in addition to 6 fellows and 4 board-certified gastroenterologists. Fellows could consult the AI algorithm's result during the test. From their consultation distribution, a stratification of test images into "easy" and "difficult" was performed and used for classified performance measurement.

RESULTS

External validation of the AI algorithm yielded values of 90%, 76%, and 84% for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, respectively. Fellows scored corresponding values of 63%, 72%, and 67% and experts scored 72%, 69%, and 71%, respectively. AI consultation significantly improved all trainee performance statistics. Although fellows and experts showed significantly lower performance for difficult images, the performance of the AI algorithm was stable.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, an AI algorithm outperformed endoscopy fellows and experts in the detection of VA on endoscopic still images. AI decision support significantly improved the performance of nonexpert endoscopists. The stable performance on difficult images suggests a further positive add-on effect in challenging cases.

Celiac Disease Revisited

Celiac disease (CD) is a systemic disease triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically predisposed individuals. It manifests primarily as an autoimmune enteropathy associated with specific circulating autoantibodies and a human leukocyte antigen haplotype (HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8). It afflicts roughly 1% of the population, though the majority of patients remain undiagnosed. Diarrhea and malabsorption are classic manifestations of CD; however, both children and adults can be paucisymptomatic and present extraintestinal manifestations such as anemia, osteoporosis, and abnormal liver tests. CD screening is not recommended for the general population, and it should be focused on high-risk groups. CD diagnosis is challenging and relies on serological tests, duodenal histology, and genetic testing. Particularly difficult presentations to manage are seronegative patients, seropositive patients without villus atrophy, and patients who have started a gluten-free diet before the diagnostic workup. The only proven treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. We present an in-depth review on the physiopathology and management of CD, with a particular emphasis on diagnostic challenges.

Celiac Disease Complicated by Rhabdomyolysis

At 37 years old, a patient developed chronic watery diarrhea, generalized pain, severe hypokalemia and elevated creatine kinase levels. She was thought to have rhabdomyolysis due to hypokalemia from chronic diarrhea. No organic cause was found. Her symptoms subsided with potassium correction, but hypokalemia persisted; she visited our hospital at 44 years old. Endoscopy detected prominent atrophy of the intestinal villi. Histology indicated Marsh-Oberhuber type-3b disease. Anti-gliadin and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibody tests were positive. She was diagnosed with celiac disease and started on a gluten-free diet, which improved her symptoms. This report is only the tenth of its kind worldwide.

Anti-tissue transglutaminase titers are associated with endoscopic findings and severity of mucosal damage in children with celiac disease

We aimed to assess the correlation between clinical findings, serology, endoscopic findings, and histology in children diagnosed with celiac disease. Medical records of children diagnosed with celiac disease (2010-2017) at the Schneider Children's Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Correlation between serologic measures anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG)/anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) and other variables including mucosal damage, endoscopic findings (scalloping of duodenal folds), and clinical findings (abdominal pain, diarrhea, and anemia) was assessed. Out of 686 patients, 432 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (females 262, 61%; median age 6.0; interquartile range 4.0-9.0 years). Distribution of histopathology findings was Marsh IIIa 4%, Marsh IIIb 25%, and Marsh IIIc 71% with 313 (73%) patients having anti-tTG titer of ≥ 10 times the upper normal limit. Anti-tTG titer (but not EMA) positively correlated with Marsh grades, scalloping of duodenal folds and anemia. Anti-tTG ≥ 10 times the upper normal limit was associated with Marsh IIIc changes with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-12.1). Diarrhea and abdominal pain were not associated with serologic, endoscopic, or histologic markers of disease severity.Conclusion: Anti-tTG titers correlated with macroscopic and microscopic mucosal damage, with anemia but not with diarrhea or abdominal pain in children with celiac disease. What is Known: • Tissue transglutaminase antibody titers were shown to correlate with the degree of mucosal damage in patients with celiac disease. • There is a limited evidence regarding the association of celiac serologies with endoscopic and clinical measures. What is New: • Higher titers of tissue transglutaminase but not anti-endomysial antibodies are associated with more severe histologic and endoscopic damage and with the presence of anemia. • Symptoms do not correlate with the severity of mucosal damage such as scalloping of duodenal folds and histopathology changes according to Marsh classification or with serologic markers.

Digital histology in celiac disease: A practice changer

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown tremendously in the last decades and is undoubtedly the future era in medicine. Concerning digestive diseases, applications of AI include clinical gastroenterology, gastrointestinal endoscopy and imaging, and not least pathological diagnosis. Several gastrointestinal pathologies require histological confirmation for a positive diagnosis. Among them, celiac disease (CD) diagnosis has been in the spotlight over time, but controversy is still ongoing with regard to the so-called celiac-type histology. Despite efforts to improve histological diagnosis in CD, there are still several issues and pitfalls associated with duodenal histology reading. Several papers have assessed the accuracy of AI techniques in detecting CD on duodenal biopsy images and have shown high diagnostic performance over standard histology reading. We discuss the role of computer-assisted histology in improving the assessment of mucosal architectural injury and inflammation in CD patients, both for diagnosis and follow-up.

Red Spot Lesions in the Duodenal Bulb Are a Highly Specific Endoscopic Sign of Celiac Disease: A Prospective Study

We have recognized red spot lesions (RSLs) in the duodenal bulb in children with celiac disease (CD) and believe they may represent an underappreciated and distinct endoscopic sign of CD. A total of 171 pediatric patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy with duodenal biopsy for symptoms consistent with CD were prospectively recruited. There were 75 patients who met criteria for CD and the remaining 96 patients served as symptomatic controls. As compared to endoscopic markers frequently mentioned in literature, RSLs had comparable sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 31%, 94%, 80%, and 64%, respectively. If RSLs are noted during endoscopy in a patient with gastrointestinal symptoms that might be the result of CD, then sufficient duodenal biopsies to make the diagnosis of CD should be obtained.

A Caucasian American patient with celiac disease diagnosed in Japan and successfully treated with a gluten-free diet

We report the case of a 33-year-old Caucasian American man diagnosed with celiac disease in Japan. He presented to a community hospital because of chronic watery diarrhea and weight loss for 6 months. The laboratory data showed low serum albumin and serum cholesterol. A colonoscopy was normal. He was referred to our hospital for further work-up. Serum tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (IgA) and endomysial antibody were positive. The HLA type was DQ2. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed nodular and mosaic-patterned mucosa from the bulb to the second part of the duodenum. The histopathological findings were consistent with Marsh type 3c of the modified Marsh classification for celiac disease. The patient was instructed to follow a gluten-free diet (GFD). Six months after the initiation of the GFD, his symptom and the levels of serum albumin and cholesterol were improved, and the serum tissue transglutaminase IgA and endomysial antibody became negative. However, EGD showed little improvement. Capsule endoscopy also revealed mosaic-patterned mucosa, nodular mucosa, and scalloping of the folds of the duodenum and proximal small intestine. There was no definite improvement in histopathological findings. Collectively, the GFD was effective in this patient with celiac disease, but it should be maintained to achieve endoscopic and histopathologic healing.

Optimizing the diagnosis of celiac disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The diagnostic approach in celiac disease is continuously evolving as our understanding of its pathophysiology improves. This review aims to provide a summary of contemporary work that supports optimization of the diagnosis of this common yet underdiagnosed condition.

RECENT FINDINGS

The recently updated National Institute of Clinical Excellence and European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition guidelines and the contentious biopsy-free diagnostic approach will be discussed. We will review the evidence advocating optimal biopsy techniques such as single bite biopsy and controversial bulb biopsy sampling to increase diagnostic yield. Recent data providing phenotypical characterization and clinical outcomes of celiac subtypes such as potential celiac disease, seronegative celiac disease and ultrashort celiac disease will be covered. We will present emerging evidence on novel case finding strategies with point of care tests. Promising novel markers for celiac disease such as serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein and in-vitro gluten challenge will be included.

SUMMARY

Recent work has demonstrated the clinical significance of the celiac disease subtypes, emphasizing the importance of careful diagnosis and recognition. There is a move toward a less invasive and perhaps more cost-effective diagnostic approach in celiac disease, but duodenal biopsy remains the gold standard at present for all adults and the majority of pediatric patients.

Small bowel villous atrophy: celiac disease and beyond

Small bowel villous atrophy can represent a diagnostic challenge for gastroenterologists and pathologists. In Western countries small bowel atrophy and mild non-atrophic alterations are frequently caused by celiac disease. However, other pathology can mimic celiac disease microscopically, widening the differential diagnosis. The several novelties on this topic and the introduction of the device-assisted enteroscopy in the diagnostic flowchart make an update of the literature necessary. Areas covered: In this review, a description of the different clinical scenarios when facing with small bowel mucosal damage, particularly small bowel atrophy, is described. The published literature on this subject has been summarized and reviewed. Expert commentary: When an intestinal mucosal alteration is histologically demonstrated, the pathology report forms part of a more complex workup including serological data, clinical presentation and clinical history. A multidisciplinary team, including pathologists and enteroscopy-devoted endoscopists, is frequently required to manage patients with small bowel alterations, especially in cases of severe malabsorption syndrome.

'Pre-endoscopy point of care test (Simtomax- IgA/IgG-Deamidated Gliadin Peptide) for coeliac disease in iron deficiency anaemia: diagnostic accuracy and a cost saving economic model'

BACKGROUND

International guidelines recommend coeliac serology in iron deficiency anaemia, and duodenal biopsy for those tested positive to detect coeliac disease. However, pre-endoscopy serology is often unavailable, thus committing endoscopists to take routine duodenal biopsies. Some endoscopists consider duodenal biopsy mandatory in anaemia to exclude other pathologies. We hypothesise that using a point of care test at endoscopy could fill this gap, by providing rapid results to target anaemic patients who require biopsies, and save costs by biopsy avoidance. We therefore assessed three key aspects to this hypothesis: 1) the availability of pre-endoscopy serology in anaemia; 2) the sensitivities and cost effectiveness of pre-endoscopy coeliac screening with Simtomax in anaemia; 3) whether other anaemia-related pathologies could be missed by this targeted-biopsy approach.

METHODS

Group 1: pre-endoscopy serology availability was retrospectively analysed in a multicentre cohort of 934 anaemic patients at 4 UK hospitals. Group 2: the sensitivities of Simtomax, endomysial and tissue-transglutaminase antibodies were compared in 133 prospectively recruited patients with iron deficiency anaemia attending for a gastroscopy. The sensitivities were measured against duodenal histology as the reference standard in all patients. The cost effectiveness of Simtomax was calculated based on the number of biopsies that could have been avoided compared to an all-biopsy approach. Group 3: the duodenal histology of 153 patients presenting to a separate iron deficiency anaemia clinic were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

In group 1, serology was available in 361 (33.8 %) patients. In group 2, the sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) were 100 % and 100 % for Simtomax, 96.2 % and 98.9 % for IgA-TTG, and 84.6 % and 96.4 % for EMA respectively. In group 3, the duodenal histology found no causes for anaemia other than coeliac disease.

CONCLUSION

Simtomax had excellent diagnostic accuracy in iron deficiency anaemia and was comparable to conventional serology. Duodenal biopsy did not identify any causes other than coeliac disease for iron deficiency anaemia, suggesting that biopsy avoidance in Simtomax negative anaemic patients is unlikely to miss other anaemia-related pathologies. Due to its 100 % NPV, Simtomax could reduce unnecessary biopsies by 66 % if only those with a positive Simtomax were biopsied, potentially saving £3690/100 gastroscopies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The group 2 study was retrospectively registered with clinicaltrials.gov. Trial registration date: 13(th) July 2016;

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02834429 .

Endoscopic evaluation of celiac disease severity and its correlation with histopathological aspects of the duodenal mucosa

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder affecting genetically predisposed individuals, triggered and maintained by the ingestion of gluten. Triggered and maintained by the ingestion of gluten, celiac disease is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder affecting genetically predisposed individuals. Persistent related inflammation of the duodenal mucosa causes atrophy architecture detectable on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and histopathology. We investigated the association between endoscopic features and histopathological findings (Marsh) for duodenal mucosa in celiac disease patients and propose an endoscopic classification of severity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2000 and March 2010, an electronic database containing 34,540 EDGs of patients aged > 14 years was searched for cases of CD. Out of 109 cases, 85 met the inclusion criteria: conventional EGD combined with chromoendoscopy, zoom and biopsy. EGD types 0, I and II corresponds to Marsh grades 0, 1 and 2, respectively, while EGD type III corresponds to Marsh grade 3 and 4.

RESULTS

Five patients (5.8 %) were EGD I but not Marsh grade 1; 25 patients (29.4 %) were EGD II, 4 of whom (16 %) were classified as Marsh grade 2; and 55 patients (64.7 %) were EGD III, 51 (92.7 %) of whom were classified as Marsh grades 3 and 4. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r = 0.33) revealed a significant association between the methods (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the duodenal mucosa detected on EGD were significantly and positively associated with histopathologic findings. The use of chromoendoscopy in addition to conventional EGD enhances changes in the duodenal mucosa and permits diagnosis of CD, even in routine examinations. The proposed endoscopic classification is practical and easily reproducible and provides valuable information regarding disease extension.

Diagnostic yield of endoscopic markers for celiac disease

RATIONALE

In the setting of open access endoscopy, the recognition of suggestive endoscopic features in the duodenum can select patients with probability of celiac disease (CD). This could add to the current efforts to increase the diagnostic rate of this disease.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of these markers for CD in an adult population undergoing endoscopy, without a prior serological testing.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Over a period of 3 years, between June 2012 and 2015, all the patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and presented one or more of the endoscopic markers consistent with CD, or those suspected for CD, irrespective of the presence of these markers, were included. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated for these markers in CD diagnosis. Among the 182 patients, 56.04% were females, with a mean age of 47.6 ± 13.9 years. 20/182 (10.99%) had a final diagnosis of CD. The presence of any endoscopic marker had a high sensitivity (95%) and a negative predictive value (98.41%). Bulb atrophy and reduced folds in the descending duodenum had a low diagnostic accuracy, while scalloping, mosaic pattern and fissures were highly specific for CD (98.77%, 99.38% and 98.77%) and their presence greatly increased the probability of CD, with a positive likelihood ratio of 24.3, 24.3 and 12.15, respectively.

DISCUSSIONS

A wide set of endoscopic markers, including the duodenal bulb, were evaluated in this study. Our results showed that the endoscopy with a careful examination of the duodenum is a sensitive indicator for CD.

ABBREVIATIONS

CD = celiac disease, GI = gastrointestinal, VA = villous atrophy, NSAID = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Sn = sensitivity, Sp = specificity, PPV = positive predictive value, NPV = negative predictive value, AUC = area under the curve, ROC = receiver operating characteristics, WLE = white light endoscopy, NBI = narrow band imaging, tTG = tissue transglutaminase, EMA = anti-endomysial antibodies.

Correlation of endoscopic and histological features in adults with suspected celiac disease in a referral center of Minas Gerais, Brazil

CONTEXT

Clinical presentation of celiac disease is extremely variable and the diagnosis relies on serologic tests, mucosal intestinal biopsy and clinic and serologic response to a gluten-free diet.

OBJECTIVES

To correlate the endoscopic and histological aspects of adult patients with suspicion of celiac disease and to evaluate the interobserver histological agreement.

METHODS

Endoscopic aspects of 80 adult patients were evaluated and correlated with the histological features according the Marsh-Oberhuber classification system. The interobserver histological agreement was based on kappa values.

RESULTS

The symptoms of the patients varied largely, with prominence for chronic diarrhea, present in 48 (60%) patients. The endoscopic aspects related with the duodenal villous atrophy had been observed in 32 (40%) patients. There were confirmed 46 cases of celiac disease, with prevalence of 57.5%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the endoscopic markers for celiac disease diagnosis were of 60.9%, 88.2%, 87.5% and 62.5%. There was moderate interobserver histological agreement (kappa = 0.46).

CONCLUSIONS

The endoscopic markers of villous atrophy, although not diagnostic, had assisted in the suspicion and indication of the duodenal biopsies for diagnosis proposal. Histology is sometimes contradictory and new biopsies or opinion of another professional can provide greater diagnostic agreement.

The importance of disease prevalence in assessing the diagnostic value of a test: endoscopic markers in celiac disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

We evaluated the diagnostic variability and reproducibility of endoscopic signs in two populations with a different pretest likelihood of celiac disease (CD).

METHODS

We recruited 289 CD patients (both adults and children) in a multicenter prospective study. Group 1 (high risk) included 111 patients referred for positive serology. Group 2 (low risk) included 178 unselected patients. Mosaic pattern, reduction/loss of Kerckring's folds, scalloping of the valvulae conniventes and a nodular pattern were the endoscopic findings looked for in the duodenum.

RESULTS

In group 1, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of endoscopic findings were 100, 84.6, 94.2 and 100% in adults, and 86.8, 9.1, 82.1 and 12.5% in children. In group 2, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of endoscopic findings were 33.3, 91.4, 7.7 and 98.5% in adults, and noncalculable, 78.3, 0.0 and 100% in children. Comparing group 1 and group 2, there was a statistically significant difference in sensitivity and PPV in adults, and in specificity, PPV and NPV in children. Concerning the reproducibility of endoscopic findings, a wide variability of κ values was found.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic signs have low reproducibility for CD, and their diagnostic value in selecting patients for multiple intestinal biopsies is unacceptable, especially in populations with low disease prevalence.

Narrow band imaging with magnification endoscopy for celiac disease: results from a prospective, single-center study

In celiac disease (CD), the intestinal lesions can be patchy and partial villous atrophy may elude detection at standard endoscopy (SE). Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) system in combination with a magnifying endoscope (ME) is a simple tool able to obtain targeted biopsy specimens. The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between NBI-ME and histology in CD diagnosis and to compare diagnostic accuracy between NBI-ME and SE in detecting villous abnormalities in CD. Forty-four consecutive patients with suspected CD undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy have been prospectively evaluated. Utilizing both SE and NBI-ME, observed surface patterns were compared with histological results obtained from biopsy specimens using the k-Cohen agreement coefficient. NBI-ME identified partial villous atrophy in 12 patients in whom SE was normal, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100%, 92.6%, and 95%, respectively. The overall agreement between NBI-ME and histology was significantly higher when compared with SE and histology (kappa score: 0.90 versus 0.46; P = 0.001) in diagnosing CD. NBI-ME could help identify partial mucosal atrophy in the routine endoscopic practice, potentially reducing the need for blind biopsies. NBI-ME was superior to SE and can reliably predict in vivo the villous changes of CD.

'Goose bumps'-associated anaemia

A 36-year-old woman presented to our hospital for further evaluation of anaemia screened by regular check-up. She was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) but refractory to iron supplementation. She had negative results of occult blood in the stool and no gynaecologic disease potentially causing hyper menorrhea. Upper endoscopy revealed a nodular gastritis, which has been called 'Torihada-ien', a Japanese word meaning 'gastritis with goose bumps-like appearance', associated with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection. After Hp eradication therapy, her anaemia resolved with an improved response to iron supplementation. In an unexplained IDA patient, Hp-associated gastritis should be considered in the possible background.

Current methods to diagnose the unresponsive and complicated forms of coeliac disease

Coeliac disease is a common disorder. Due to the protean manifestations of the disease and the often mild but indolent course, the diagnosis is often missed. The method to diagnose this in principle reversible disease after the introduction of a gluten-free diet has attracted the attention of several scientific disciplines to find the simplest and most patient-friendly test. This has resulted in a noticeable impact on the clinical practice next to a general increased awareness of its existence, its pathogenesis, its course and recent evidence of increased mortality. Amendments made in the diagnostic criteria of coeliac disease over the last half century have simplified the diagnosis. However, the aspect most relevant to the specialist in internal medicine is related to its grave consequences when the disease fails to respond to a gluten-free diet. These refractory cases may culminate in severe complications with sombre endings and malignancy. Fortunately, current technology can offer the specialist in internal medicine more facilities to diagnose the cause of the complicated cases in order to attempt to intervene in the course of disease and hopefully save these patients. We review the available tools that now exist and their indications that can be practiced in a modern clinical setting for the diagnosis of the complicated forms of this disease.

The diagnostic value of the duodenal biopsy: a clinico-pathologic analysis of 28,000 patients

BACKGROUND

Duodenal biopsies are frequently obtained to investigate malabsorption, diarrhoea, and anemia. The proportion of patients who have duodenal biopsies and their diagnostic yield are unclear.

AIMS

To determine what proportion of patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a private setting has duodenal biopsies and to evaluate the diagnostic yield relative to clinical indications and endoscopic findings.

METHODS

Records of patients who had duodenal biopsies diagnosed at a United States gastrointestinal pathology laboratory in a single year were analysed.

RESULTS

28,210 patients with and 75,175 without duodenal biopsies were studied. Duodenal biopsy patients were younger (52 years versus 58 years, p<0.001) and more likely to be female (OR 1.46; p<0.0001); 87% of children and 27% of adults had duodenal biopsies. Suspicion of malabsorption or sprue, diarrhoea, anemia, and weight loss were strong predictors of duodenal biopsy. More than 80% of patients had normal duodenum, except those biopsied for sprue, 64% of whom had normal findings. Marsh II-IIIc lesions were diagnosed in 23% of patients with suspected sprue, but in 3.0% of those with diarrhoea, weight loss, or anemia, and in 1.5% of patients with dyspepsia or GERD.

CONCLUSIONS

A clinical suspicion of sprue produces the highest yield of histopathologic abnormalities; women are biopsied more often than men despite having less duodenal pathology.

Diagnostic immunology in celiac disease

Serum autoantibodies to transglutaminase and endomysium are found in the majority of patients with celiac disease, an autoimmune multisystem disorder affecting approximately 1% of Western and Middle-Eastern populations. Detection of these antibodies plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of celiac disease. The aim of this review is to summarize recent publications in this field, with particular focus on the applications and limitations of celiac autoantibody testing in routine clinical practice.

Pediatric celiac disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Celiac disease is an extremely common, although underdiagnosed, disorder. Knowledge about the varied clinical manifestations and the proper approach to screening and diagnosing celiac disease will lead to appropriate early intervention in affected children

RECENT FINDINGS

New age-dependent algorithms are emerging to properly screen for celiac disease. There is new evidence on the patchy nature of celiac disease supporting the practice of multiple duodenal biopsies including the bulb of the duodenum. Therapeutic dietary compliance, particularly in asymptomatic children, can be poor, and therefore, the involvement of a dietician trained in celiac disease is instrumental in keeping patients up to date with dietary guidelines and to improve their compliance to the diet. Expanding knowledge about the pathogenesis of celiac disease has led to the development of investigational therapeutic alternatives to the gluten-free diet. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating methods of celiac disease prevention in at-risk infants.

SUMMARY

This review aims at outlining the different manifestations of celiac disease in children as well as a step-wise approach to screen and diagnose the disease. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of celiac disease is paving the way to innovative diagnostic tools, preventive strategies, and therapeutic interventions alternative to a gluten-free diet.

Symposium 1: Joint BAPEN and British Society of Gastroenterology Symposium on ‘Coeliac disease: basics and controversies’ Coeliac disease in the twenty-first century

Coeliac disease (CD), traditionally perceived as a rare childhood condition presenting with malabsorption, is instead an autoimmune multisystem disorder usually presenting in adulthood, affecting ⩾1% of the population and linked to the genetic expression of human leucocyte antigens (HLA) DQ2 and DQ8. Presentation occurs most often in the 40–60 years age-group, but potentially at any age. Symptoms attributable to the gut or to malabsorption may be mild, non-specific or absent; under one-third of patients have diarrhoea and almost half are overweight. Histological diagnosis no longer requires small intestine villous atrophy. The Marsh classification recognizes increased intraepithelial lymphocytes and crypt hyperplasia with intact villi as part of the gluten enteropathy spectrum, while some individuals have more subtle abnormalities identified only on electron microscopy. Serological testing for CD autoantibodies (to endomysium and tissue transglutaminase) has revolutionized diagnosis, shifting the process towards primary care. However, a substantial number of patients with CD are seronegative, particularly those without villous atrophy. The autoantibody to endomysium may be produced before histological change. The immune response to transglutaminase is crucial to the disease process. An exciting new development is the link between antibodies to organ-specific transglutaminases and clinical presentation; transglutaminases 2 (gut), 3 (skin) and 6 (nervous system). Negative testing for CD does not preclude its development later and HLA testing may allow ‘once and for all’ exclusion. In conclusion, an increasing proportion of patients with CD do not meet the ‘classic’ picture of malabsorption, positive serological testing and villous atrophy. Insisting on all these criteria for diagnosis will result in under diagnosis.

The water immersion technique is easy to learn for routine use during EGD for duodenal villous evaluation: a single-center 2-year experience

GOALS

We investigated the learning parameters of the immersion technique for the assessment of marked villous atrophy (MVA), during routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

BACKGROUND

The immersion technique offers a proven possibility of enhancing the sensitivity of endoscopy in detecting duodenal villous atrophy patterns.

STUDY

Nine endoscopists with at least 2 years of experience, who had previously been trained to perform the immersion technique, searched for duodenal villi during routine EGD. In a 2-year study, duodenal villi were evaluated underwater duodenoscopy in 432 patients from whom duodenal biopsies had been, for various reasons, obtained. The endoscopic findings were compared with the histology. The learning parameters of the water immersion technique and the accuracy in detecting subjects with MVA were observed.

RESULTS

A total of 28 (6.5%) patients with MVA were identified during endoscopy by the trained endoscopists. All these patients were diagnosed as being celiac patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (positive and negative predictive values) of the immersion technique in detecting MVA patterns, irrespective of the endoscopist who performed the examination, were always 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

The underwater evaluation of the duodenum can be efficiently and regularly performed during routine EGD by endoscopists with 2 years of experience, after a specific, brief training period. This procedure is simple, feasible, and can accurately detect MVA patterns.

Clinical symptoms in celiac patients on a gluten-free diet

OBJECTIVE

Persistent villous atrophy in patients with celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD) is reported with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible association between persistent damage of the villi and "atypical" gastrointestinal symptoms in CD patients on a GFD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty-nine CD patients on a GFD were divided into two groups: Group A included 42 patients (6 M, 36 F, age range 17-62 years) undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) due to the presence of symptoms; Group B included 27 control patients (6 M, 21 F, age range 24-71 years) who were asymptomatic at the time of the study. Both groups underwent EGDs and a duodenal histologic study.

RESULTS

Persistent endoscopic lesions were more frequent in Group A (30/42) than in Group B (12/27; p=0.01). Villous atrophy was significantly more frequent in Group A than in Group B: 85% versus 33% (p<0.0001; odds ratio (OR)=12; 95% CI 3.7-38.9). Gastrointestinal symptoms in the Group A patients were different from those present at CD diagnosis: anemia/diarrhea/weight loss in 6 cases; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-like symptoms in 12 cases; abdominal pain/constipation in 24 cases. In Group A there was no difference in gender distribution, age and duration of GFD between subjects with normal villi and those with persistent partial villous atrophy. Patients with persistent symptoms showed a higher intraepithelial eosinophil count (p=0.005) than the asymptomatic patients (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Persistent intestinal villous atrophy in CD patients on a GFD is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms considered "atypical" for CD and not present at CD diagnosis.

Optimal band imaging system: a new tool for enhancing the duodenal villous pattern in celiac disease

BACKGROUND

The optimal band imaging (OBI) system is a new technology that can select better spectral images decomposed from ordinary endoscopic images. This technology, first introduced as "FUJI Intelligent Color Enhancement," enhances the contrast of the mucosal surface without the use of dyes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of OBI for predicting the duodenal villous morphologic characteristics in patients with suspected celiac disease.

DESIGN

This study was designed as an open, prospective, single-center trial. Duodenoscopy was performed with a high-resolution magnification view, in association with OBI spectral processing. Duodenal villous patterns were evaluated and classified as normal, partially atrophic, or markedly atrophic. The endoscopic results were then compared with the histologic diagnosis.

SETTING

Endoscopy unit at the A. Gemelli University Hospital of Rome, Italy.

PATIENTS

Sixty-one patients undergoing upper endoscopy for clinical history of malabsorption or serologic suspicion for celiac disease were included in the study.

RESULTS

From OBI sets using red, green, and blue wavelength combinations that ranged from 400 to 580 nm, the endoscopist was able to find marked villous atrophy of the duodenum in 16 subjects, partial villous atrophy in 9 subjects, and normal villi in the remaining 36 subjects. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the OBI-based duodenoscopy were 100% accurate in the evaluation of villous patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

High-resolution magnification endoscopy with OBI allows clear visualization of the duodenal villous pattern. The OBI system may play a potential role in optimizing the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopy in celiac disease.

Mucosal atrophy in celiac disease: extent of involvement, correlation with clinical presentation, and response to treatment

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Wireless capsule endoscopy provides an opportunity to study the macroscopic features in celiac disease by providing a magnified view of the intestinal mucosa. In this study, we evaluated the following: (1) the distribution of atrophy in untreated celiac disease, (2) the correlation between extent of changes and clinical manifestations, (3) the accuracy and interobserver agreement of wireless capsule endoscopy assessment, and (4) the effect of gluten withdrawal.

METHODS

Thirty-eight consecutive patients with untreated biopsy-proven celiac disease underwent wireless capsule endoscopy. Each subject was invited to undergo repeat testing after at least 6 months of gluten withdrawal. The video images of each patient were reviewed independently by 2 investigators.

RESULTS

Thirty-five (92%) subjects had visible atrophy detected by capsule endoscopy. Twenty-two (59%) subjects showed an extensive enteropathy, 12 (32%) had enteropathy limited to the duodenum, and only 1 had a jejunal enteropathy. No association was shown between the extent of the lesion and clinical manifestations. Capsule endoscopy had a better overall sensitivity for the detection of atrophy as compared with upper endoscopy (92% vs 55%, P = .0005), with a specificity of 100%. The overall interobserver agreement for the 2 reviewers was relatively high (% total agreement, 86.5%). After gluten withdrawal, the extent and the pattern of atrophy improved both qualitatively and quantitatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Celiac disease affects a highly variable portion of the small intestine starting at the duodenum. The extent of visible enteropathy does not explain differences in clinical presentation. Most subjects with visually detected villous atrophy showed a clinically significant improvement after gluten withdrawal.

Mucosal atrophy in celiac disease: extent of involvement, correlation with clinical presentation, and response to treatment

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Wireless capsule endoscopy provides an opportunity to study the macroscopic features in celiac disease by providing a magnified view of the intestinal mucosa. In this study, we evaluated the following: (1) the distribution of atrophy in untreated celiac disease, (2) the correlation between extent of changes and clinical manifestations, (3) the accuracy and interobserver agreement of wireless capsule endoscopy assessment, and (4) the effect of gluten withdrawal.

METHODS

Thirty-eight consecutive patients with untreated biopsy-proven celiac disease underwent wireless capsule endoscopy. Each subject was invited to undergo repeat testing after at least 6 months of gluten withdrawal. The video images of each patient were reviewed independently by 2 investigators.

RESULTS

Thirty-five (92%) subjects had visible atrophy detected by capsule endoscopy. Twenty-two (59%) subjects showed an extensive enteropathy, 12 (32%) had enteropathy limited to the duodenum, and only 1 had a jejunal enteropathy. No association was shown between the extent of the lesion and clinical manifestations. Capsule endoscopy had a better overall sensitivity for the detection of atrophy as compared with upper endoscopy (92% vs 55%, P = .0005), with a specificity of 100%. The overall interobserver agreement for the 2 reviewers was relatively high (% total agreement, 86.5%). After gluten withdrawal, the extent and the pattern of atrophy improved both qualitatively and quantitatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Celiac disease affects a highly variable portion of the small intestine starting at the duodenum. The extent of visible enteropathy does not explain differences in clinical presentation. Most subjects with visually detected villous atrophy showed a clinically significant improvement after gluten withdrawal.