Triagem sorológica para doença celíaca em adolescentes e adultos jovens, estudantes universitários

COELIAC DISEASE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA: time for a concerted approach to its epidemiology

Central and South America offer an opportunity to resolve some of the current controversies that surround the epidemiology of celiac disease. Through a concerted action which brings together clinicians, researchers and patients there is an opportunity to establish robust data sets which will allow detailed analysis of environmental and genetic factors. In this review available data from the continent together with data from Spain and Italy are drawn together to give a current picture in the hope that it will stimulate further research.

Serologic screening of celiac disease in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the seroprevalence of celiac disease in adolescents from public schools in the city of Salvador, Bahia.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with probabilistic sample of 1,213 adolescents, aged 11 to 17 years old, of both genders. The body mass index was used to determine the participants' nutritional status based on the percentiles for age and gender recommended by the World Health Organization. Measurement of the anti-human transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (anti-tTG-IgA) antibody was established as the specific screening test for celiac disease, which involved an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Descriptive analysis was performed using proportions and means (standard deviation).

RESULTS

The female gender prevailed in the sample, and most of the participants had normal weights. The anti-tTG-IgA antibody was positive in 6/1,213 (0.49%) adolescents.

CONCLUSION

The seroprevalence of celiac disease was 0.49% in the investigated adolescents. Further studies are necessary to establish the prevalence of celiac disease in this age range.