Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, July 2001, p. 678-685, Vol. 8, No. 4
Celiac Disease-Associated Autoimmune
Endocrinopathies
IMMCO Diagnostics,
Inc.,1 and Departments of Microbiology
and Dermatology, University at Buffalo, SUNY,2
Buffalo, New York, and Department of Internal Medicine,
School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield,
Illinois3
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder induced by gluten
intake in genetically susceptible individuals. It is characterized by
the presence of serum antibodies to endomysium, reticulin, gliadin, and
tissue transglutaminase. The incidence of CD in various autoimmune
disorders is increased 10- to 30-fold in comparison to the general
population, although in many cases CD is clinically asymptomatic or
silent. The identification of such cases with CD is important since it
may help in the control of type I diabetes or endocrine functions in
general, as well as in the prevention of long-term complications of CD,
such as lymphoma. It is believed that CD may predispose an individual
to other autoimmune disorders such as type I diabetes, autoimmune
thyroid, and other endocrine diseases and that gluten may be a possible
trigger. The onset of type I diabetes at an early age in patients with
CD, compared to non-CD, and the prevention or delay in onset of
diabetes by gluten-free diet in genetically predisposed individuals
substantiates this antigen trigger hypothesis. Early identification of
CD patients in highly susceptible population may result in the
treatment of subclinical CD and improved control of associated disorders.
1071-412X/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.8.4.678-685.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
MINIREVIEW
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: IMMCO
Diagnostics, Inc., 60 Pineview Dr., Buffalo, NY 14228. Phone: (716)
691-0091. Fax: (716) 691-0466. E-mail:
vkumar{at}immcodiagnostics.com.
This article has been cited by other articles:
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»