Prevalence of Celiac Disease: a Multicenter Trial in Pediatric Population from Five Urban Districts of Argentina
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Original article Arch Argent Pediatr 2012;110(6):490-495 / 490 Prevalence of celiac disease: a multicenter trial in pediatric population from five urban districts of Argentina Mabel Mora, MDa, Néstor Litwin, MDb, María del Carmen Toca, MDc, María Inés Azcona, MDa, Rossana Solís Neffa, MDa, Fernando Battiston, MDa, María Solaegui, MDa, Gonzalo Ortiz, MDc, Marta Wagener, MDd, Jorgelina Olivera, MDd, Silvia Marchisone, MDe, Gabriela Oropeza, MDe, Cinthia Bastianelli, MDf, Alejandra González, MDg and Gabriela Rezzónico, MDh SUMMARY sequence of an inflammatory response Introduction. No published material on the to the intake of gluten in genetically preva lence of celiac disease (CD) in the pedi- atric popula tion of Argentina has been found susceptible indi viduals. up to date. Its clinical spectrum is varied and Objec tive. To estimate the prevalence of CD in includes three forms: classical, with a pediatric population (hospital-based sample) mal absorption syndrome, silent and from 5 urban districts of Argentina. Methods. In a cross-sectional descriptive study, atypical. Extraintestinal –often oligo- we analyzed serum samples from 2219 children, symptomatic– manifestations can also a. Hospital Materno aged 3-16 years old, which had been requested Infantil de San be observed in atypical celiac disease, for pre-surgical tests and for physical aptitude Isidro “Dr. Carlos such as short stature, osteoporosis, certificates for sports in the province of Buenos Gianantonio”. Aires, and cit ies of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa anemia, abortions, in fertility, epilepsy, b. Gastroenterology Fe and Salta. Children with a previous and ac- ataxia, occipital cerebral calcifications, Research Laboratory. curate diagnosis of CD were also included. IgA c. Hospital Nacional recurrent aphthous ulcers or dermati- class tissue transglu taminase antibodies were 1-3 “Prof. A. Posadas”. tis herpetiformis. determined using serum samples, and those Province of Buenos samples which turned out posi tive were also If any of these occur, the early Aires. tested for IgA class endomysium antibodies. A diagno sis of celiac disease should be d. Hospital de Niños small intestine biopsy was proposed for those 4-6 de Santa Fe considered to avoid complications. who had a positive serology. “Dr. O. Alassia”. There are conditions associated to ce- Results. Between May 2008 and August 2009, e. Hospital Municipal 29 positive serologies were found. A total of liac disease, such as Down, Williams, Infantil de Córdoba. 22 duo denum biopsies were performed, and 21 Turner syndromes, and autoimmune f. Hospital “Niño Jesús turned out compatible with CD. Out of 2219 chil- de Praga”. Salta. disorders, such as type 1 diabetes, dren, 7 had a previous diagnosis. A prevalence g. Hospital Universitario Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or autoim- of 1.26% (1:79 children), with female gender pre- CEMIC. 7,8 dominance (p < 0.023) was found. mune hepatitis, among others. Buenos Aires. Ninety percent of the celiac children were over The so-called silent celiac patients h. Clínica San Lucas. 6 years old (p < 0.021). Silent celiac disease pre- San Isidro. Province present no clinic manifestation and, dominated but there was a 33% of symptom- of Buenos Aires. while they are most common in the atic cases. Conclusions. The results of the trial show a so-called risk groups, they can also be Email Address: higher prevalence of CD than expected. The found among the general population. Mabel Mora, MD: finding of symptomatic patients (33%) suggests [email protected] Risk groups are composed by those the undertak ing of different activities to spread who have family members with celiac the knowledge on this disease and promote the Funding: indication for serology test, to avoid complica- disease or associated conditions. Ramon Carrillo- tions by means of an early diagnosis. The clinical spectrum of this disease Arturo Oñativia Key words: celiac disease, prevalence, children, tis Initiation Scholarship has been compared to an iceberg, in sue transglutaminase, Argentina. granted by the Health which the symptomatic form is the vis- Research Committee http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2012.490 ible part, while the atypical and silent (Comité Nacional forms, almost seven times more fre- Salud Investiga) of the 9 Ministry of Health. quent, constitute the submerged part. INTRODUCTION In the 1980s, serological determina- Conflict of Interest: Celiac disease is a permanent tions, such as antigliadin, started None. condition of gluten intolerance, char- being performed, spreading the Received: 2-12-2012 acterized by damage to the mucous of knowledge on this clinical spectrum. Accepted: 6-22-2012 the small intestine, produced as a con- Subsequently, other antibodies of Prevalence of celiac disease: a multicenter trial in pediatric population from five urban districts of Argentina / 491 greater specific ity and sensitivity appeared, such hospital centers of the City of Buenos Aires and as anti-endomysi um (EMA) and tissue transgluta- its suburbs, and the City of La Plata, on the pop- minase (tTG). EMA showed a 96% sensitivity and ulation estimated for that area.21 In 1999, a popu- a specificity close to 100%, while tTG has a 95-99% lation-based study was conducted on premarital specificity and a 96% sensitivity in children. The serum samples in the area of La Plata, and a great- technique for the latter is simpler, and therefore er prevalence (1:167) was found.22 it is used as the method of choice in population Pediatric studies are scarce. In Finland (2003), studies.10 a prevalence of 1:99 was found in schoolchil- The diagnosis of celiac disease is confirmed dren,23 and in Hungary (1999), this was of 1:85.24 through a small intestine biopsy. The symptoms, In Argentina, up to date, no population-based pos itive antibodies and intestinal damage are re- stud ies have been published on the prevalence in versible with a gluten-free diet. pediatric population. Assessing the magnitude of celiac disease re- According to the 2001 Census, Argentina has quires knowledge of all its clinical manifestations, a predominantly urban distribution of the popu- especially those hidden, for which a prevalence lation (89%).25 study in general population is the most important source of information. OBJECTIVE In the literature there are three modalities of To estimate the prevalence of celiac disease in preva lence studies, given the clinical characteris- a pediatric population from 5 urban areas of the tics of ce liac disease: Central and Northern regions of Argentina, and to 1. Diagnosed cases of celiac disease on popula- analyze their clinical manifestations, distribution tion density in a determined area. These re- per sex, age group and geographic distribution. present the first epidemiological studies, prior to the use of serology; cases were generally METHODS symptomatic, clas sical and their prevalence A cross-sectional descriptive design was was lower. For instance, in 1950, in England used. The population was made of children aged and Wales, the prevalence of celiac disease 3-16 years old, who attended health-care facilities was estimated at 1 every 8000 in dividuals.11 of five urban dis tricts of the country to have pre- Subsequent studies were conducted in Italy as surgical tests for sched uled or emergency surger- from 1990, with the first use of serology. ies or fitness tests for sports. We worked with a 2. Studies of celiac disease cases in risk popula- consecutive sample. Children com ing from Gas- tions (family members and patients with asso- troenterology, Endocrinology, Rheuma tology or ciated con ditions), and their prevalence was that could suffer a pathology related to celiac dis- higher. Fasano et al., found a prevalence of ease were expressly excluded. 1:22 among family members of patients with The optimal situation would have been to in- celiac disease.12 clude children from a general population, but it 3. Population-based studies: they are conducted would have been more difficult to justify the col- in general population. This study is perfor- lection of blood among study participants. For this med under this modality. This research revea- reason, we decid ed to include such population, led a prevalence of the disease much higher given that none of the surgical indications would than expected. Sero logic studies in blood do- have relation to celiac disease, and also consider- nors in Sweden in 1991 showed a prevalence ing an appropriate and possible population for the of 1:256.13 Other similar stud ies indicated the objective of the research study. The children had following results: 1:250 in the USA,14 1:330 in to be Argentineans, with at least one Ar gentinean the Netherlands,15 1:99 in Finland,16 and 1:157 parent, so as to minimize the influence of na tive in Israel.17 In Mexico a high prevalence of tTG populations from other countries. We also includ- positivity was found in blood donors (1:37).18 ed those with a previous and accurate diagnosis of In Brazil, a study in Sao Pablo showed a prev- celiac disease within that population. alence of 1:273, and another in Brasilia of The informed consent of at least one of the 1:681.19,20 parents was obtained. Under the described modality, a study was Seven sites participated: Hospital Materno published in 1993 in Argentina showing a prev- Infan til de San Isidro, Clínica San Lucas de San alence of 1:1377 in children. The study was con- Isidro and Hospital Nacional Prof. Dr. A. Posa- ducted using the number of cases diagnosed in das (Greater Bue nos Aires), CEMIC of the City of 492 / Arch Argent Pediatr 2012;110(6):490-495 / Original article Buenos Aires, Hospi tal Infantil of Córdoba, Hos- The average age (mean) of the population pital de Niños de Salta and Hospital de Niños de studied was of 8 years and 5 months, with a mean Santa Fe.