Antiadenohypophysis autoantibodies in patients with nongluten-related gastroenteropathies.
J Clin Lab Anal 2014;
28:59-62. [PMID:
24375500 DOI:
10.1002/jcla.21644]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM
To investigate the presence of antipituitary antibodies (APA) in the serum of patients undergoing gastroenteropathies (GEP) other than celiac disease (CD).
METHODS
APA were analyzed in GEP patients (n = 103), CD patients (n = 94), idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency patients (n = 21), and 98 age- and sex-matched controls. Indirect immunofluorescence was performed in cryostat sections of baboon pituitary gland.
RESULTS
APA were detected in 30% of GEP patients, 38% of them showed failure to thrive. No significant differences were found when we compared thrive impairment in negative and positive APA GEP patients. Indeed, normal values of insulin-like growth factor 1 were found in 93% of positive APA GEP patients. APA were detected in 52% of the CD patients. Ninety-one percent of them, in contrast to GEP group, showed significant growth impairment (P < 0.05) when compared to APA negative CD individuals. GH-deficient non-CD patients did not show APA.
CONCLUSIONS
We have shown the presence of APA in patients with nongluten-related enteropathies. The presence of antipituitary autoantibodies in GEP patients does not seem to be associated with failure to thrive as it occurs in CD.
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