Idiopathic enteropathy: an evaluation in rural Iran with an appraisal of nutrient loss

Prevalence of celiac disease in Shiraz, southern Iran

BACKGROUND/AIM

This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in Shiraz, southern Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serum samples were collected from 1440 persons (age range = 20-83 years, mean age = 45.4 years) in 2004 and screened for endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibodies. A questionnaire was completed for all subjects in relation to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and cases with positive serology were requested to undergo small-bowel biopsy.

RESULTS

Seven cases (0.5%) were positive for IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG), and only two (0.14%) were positive for IgA anti-endomysial antibody (anti-EMA), both of whom had highly positive anti-tTg levels (40.4 and 48.0 IU/l). The major clinical symptoms of CD, such as recurrent abdominal pain and change in bowel habits were present in all patients with positive anti-tTG assays. Only five subjects with positive serology agreed to undergo upper GI endoscopy and duodenal biopsy. Three of these cases were reported with Marsh I histologic findings, while in the two cases with positive serologic anti-EMA, more advanced forms of CD were present.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CD in apparently healthy adults was lower than the reported series from northern parts of the country; therefore, we suggest a more long-term follow-up study in high-risk groups, especially in the apparently healthy subjects in our region.

Coeliac disease in developing countries: Middle East, India and North Africa

Following the application of simple serological tests for the diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) in the 1980s, it gradually became clear that the prevalence of CD in different countries in the Middle East, North Africa and India is almost the same as that in Western countries. The prevalence of CD in at-risk populations in these regions is reported to range between 3 and 20% and the prevalence in people with type 1 diabetes is approximately 3-5%. Clinical manifestations of CD vary markedly with age, the duration and the extent of disease. Clinical studies showed that presentation with non-specific symptoms or no symptoms is as common in the Middle East as it is in Europe. Wheat has been the major staple food in these regions for many centuries and it is possible that the continuous and high level of exposure to wheat proteins has induced some degree of immune tolerance, leading to milder symptoms, which are misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or unexplained gastrointestinal disorders. A high index of suspicion for CD should be maintained in all developing countries for patients who present with chronic diarrhoea or iron deficiency anaemia. The best method for diagnosing CD in patients with diarrhoea is the panel of coeliac serological tests followed by small-bowel biopsy. In the absence of supplies for a gluten-free diet in Middle Eastern countries, maintaining this diet represents a real challenge to both patients and clinicians.

Celiac disease in children with diarrhea is more frequent than previously suspected

BACKGROUND

Celiac disease (CD) may be missed or diagnosed late in children with chronic diarrhea. In this study the authors estimated the frequency of CD among pediatric patients with chronic diarrhea based on serologic and pathologic examinations.

METHODS

During a 6-year period, all patients with chronic diarrhea of more than 6 weeks referred to the authors' department were included. For each patient, an asymptomatic control was enrolled from among the patients referred to our clinic for other reasons. Serologic tests for CD including immunoglobulin A endomysial antibody and immunoglobulin A antigliadin antibody were performed in all patients and controls. If positive, duodenal biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Patients subsequently diagnosed as CD were placed on a gluten-free diet and reevaluated after 6 months.

RESULTS

825 cases of diarrhea and 825 controls were enrolled. CD was diagnosed in 54 (6.5%) of the diarrhea patients and seven (0.8%) of the controls. After 6 months of gluten-free diet, 48 (88.8%) patients had significant improvement in symptoms and of these 41 (76.1%) were totally asymptomatic. Forty-two patients allowed repeat endoscopy after 6 months of gluten-free diet and 40 (95.2%) showed improvement in histologic findings.

CONCLUSION

CD is common among patients labeled as chronic diarrhea. In this subgroup, gluten-free diet may lead to a significant improvement in symptoms. Routine testing for CD may be indicated in all patients being evaluated for chronic diarrhea.

Coeliac disease is the most common cause of chronic diarrhoea in Iran

OBJECTIVE

Coeliac disease (CD) is one of the most important causes of chronic diarrhoea. The prevalence of CD in patients with chronic diarrhoea in Iran remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of CD among 100 Iranian patients with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea.

METHODS

One hundred consecutive patients with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea of more than 6 weeks attending an academic centre in Iran were enrolled. Patients with bloody diarrhoea and renal failure were excluded. IgA endomysial antibody (IgA EMA), IgA antigliadin antibody (IgA AGA), and total serum IgA were tested in all patients. Patients with negative IgA EMA were evaluated for other causes of chronic diarrhoea. Patients who had positive IgA EMA underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and duodenal biopsy. Patients with a positive IgA EMA were advised to follow a gluten-free diet (GFD) strictly for 6 months, and then clinical symptoms, serological and haematological tests were re-assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients (55 men and 45 women) with chronic non-bloody diarrhoea were studied. Mean age of the patients was 31 years. Total serum IgA was in the normal range in all participants. Twenty patients (12/45 women; 8/55 men) had positive IgA EMA. Fourteen of them also had a positive IgA AGA. CD was diagnosed in 19 patients (19%). Small intestinal Crohn's disease, small intestinal lymphoma and idiopathic aetiology were the next. In patients with CD, after 6 months of a GFD, 15 patients (75%) had a complete clinical response, three patients (15%) had a good response, and one patient (5%) had a partial response. One patient did not follow a GFD.

CONCLUSION

CD is the most common cause of adult chronic non-bloody diarrhoea in Tehran.

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.

Tropical sprue and subclinical enteropathy: a vision for the nineties

Aside from infectious intestinal diseases with known etiology, there is a group of gastrointestinal disorders mainly affecting the small intestine of individuals predominantly living in and less often visiting or returning from the Third World, usually the tropics, and ranging from asymptomatic structural and/or functional abnormalities of the gastrointestinal mucosa (subclinical enteropathy, SE) to a fully symptomatic condition highlighted by malabsorption of nutrients with associated nutritional deficiencies responsive to folate and broad spectrum antibiotic treatment (tropical sprue, TS). Mounting evidence supports an infectious cause in many instances. The exact nature of the infection, whether initiated and/or perpetuated by enterotoxigenic coliform bacteria, virus(es) or a combination of these, is not clear. Further studies, including those using molecular techniques, are needed in order to clarify various aspects of these widely prevalent disorders.

Intestinal absorption in Saudi Arabia: an evaluation of the one hour blood xylose test

The screening value of the one-hour blood xylose test, corrected for body surface area, was prospectively studied in Saudi Arabian adults and children under investigation for suspected intestinal malabsorption. Sensitivity of discrimination between patients with and without upper small bowel disease was 91%, compared to 85% for the five-hour urine xylose test. Primary small bowel disorder was rare. In a three-year review, no cases of adult coeliac disease or tropical sprue were found. The most common causes of malabsorption were intestinal tuberculosis, abdominal lymphoma and immunoproliferative small intestinal disease. Despite its acceptability as an index of proximal small bowel function, the blood xylose test alone is an inadequate screening test for any of these conditions.

Non-specific ileojejunitis in Arequipa, Peru

Non-specific ileojejunitis, characterised by mild to moderate structural changes in the intestinal mucosa and often associated with asymptomatic malabsorption, is known to occur in the tropics and in countries with hot climates. This acquired condition is probably related to environmental factors, and some consider it to be a subclinical form of tropical sprue. Changes in the intestinal mucosa typical of non-specific ileojejunitis were found in 10 indigenous Indians as well as 5 people of Latin stock living in the Southern Peruvian sierra, where tropical sprue has not as yet been demonstrated and which has a temperate climate.