Events

Lecture - Celiac Disease

FML seminar, December 15, 2012: New Developments in Gastroenterology with Focus on Hepatitis

Celiac Disease

Scientific Supervisor at Freiburg Medical Laboratory,Dubai

Celiac disease (CD), also known as gluten intolerance and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, affects approximately 0.5%-1% of the Western population but only one in four cases is diagnosed. It is an immune-mediated systemic condition afflicting genetically predisposed individuals. The symptoms are elicited by gluten and related prolamines. The disease is characterized by gluten-induced symptoms, specific antibodies, a specific HLA (human leukocyte antigen) type and enteropathy. The symptoms range from fatigue to chronic diarrhea and failure to thrive in children. For diagnosis, small bowel biopsy is no longer necessary in a subgroup of patients who show the typical symptoms and signs, which are high titers of anti-transglutaminase antibodies, anti-endomysium antibodies and HLA-types DQ2 or DQ8. In all other cases, small bowel biopsy remains mandatory for a correct diagnosis. We will focus on the diagnostic steps and laboratory testing options.Therapy consists of a strictly gluten-free diet, which should result in complete disappearance of symptoms and serological markers. We report on the current standards in the diagnosis of celiac disease in the medical laboratory.