The ultra structural binding sites of endomysium antibodies have been studied on human umbilical cord tissue. The sensitivity and specificity of IgA endomysium antibodies were compared with recently described methods using basement membrane of smooth muscle of monkey oesophagus. Thirty adults affected by coeliac disease (10 in remission) and 75 healthy adult controls with normal intestinal mucosa (35 false antigliadin positive) were investigated. Sensitivity and correlation of endomysium antibodies with total vilious atrophy in untreated coeliac disease patients were 100% on the human umbilical cord smooth muscles, and only 90% on the muscular layer of primate oesophagus. Indirect immunofluorescence was superior to peroxidase staining in detecting these IgA antibodies. The easy availability and enhanced testing sensitivity of the umbilical cord is an advance towards a better diagnostic tool for coeliac disease.

The data indicate that ADHD-like symptomatology is markedly overrepresented among untreated CD patients and that a gluten-free diet may improve symptoms significantly within a short period of time. The results of this study also suggest that CD should be included in the list of diseases associated with ADHD-like symptomatology.

Rice-based hydrolysed formula is a possible alternative not only for children with multiple allergies, but also for children with cow's milk allergy.

Obese children are frequently affected by NAFLD, which cannot be predicted by clinical and/or anthropometrical findings. There is however a strict correlation between the degree of liver fatty infiltration and elevation of liver enzymes.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a group of obese children (BMI> 97th %) and to establish correlations between the severity of hepatic fatty infiltration, auxological findings and parameters of insulin resistance. Methods: 44 obese children, aged 6–16 years, with a BMI above the 97th centile were selected for analysis. Hepatic fat content was assessed by phase contrast MRI. Demographic data included weight, height, body mass index, body fat mass and waist circumference. Blood tests included fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and lipid profile. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated with QUICKI. Results: Elevated hepatic fat fraction (FF) was identified in 14 subjects (31.8%; 0.07 SEM). Children with fatty liver (FF > 9%) had higher ALT (P<0.0001), AST (P=0.002) and triglycerides (P=0.008) values compared to the children without NAFLD. All the children showed a decreased insulin sensitivity (P<0.0001), but no difference was found between children with or without NAFLD. The degree of liver fatty infiltration was positively correlated with ALT (P<0.0001), AST (P<0.002) and γGT (P<0.0001), with height (P<0.006) and BMI (P<0.05) but not with estimates of body fat mass or fat distribution. Conclusion: Obese children are frequently affected by NAFLD, which cannot be predicted by clinical and/or anthropometrical findings. There is however a strict correlation between the degree of liver fatty infiltration and elevation of liver enzymes.