Serologic markers of gluten sensitivity in a healthy population from the western region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background/Aim:To identify the prevalence of gluten sensitivity in a healthy adult Saudi population within a low endemic area of celiac disease using IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody. The study was conducted as a prospective pilot study for Saudi attendees of a blood donation centre at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods:Individuals were invited to participate in the study and screened for gluten sensitivity using immunoglobulin A tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA TTG) along with serum IgA level. Descriptive data was presented and expressed as mean value; correlation between variables was estimated using Pearson correlation, and nonparametric data using Pearson rho correlation (level of P value <0.05 is considered to be statistically significant).Results:Two hundred and four individuals (122 males and 82 females, mean age 35 years) attending the blood donation centre were screened. Three individuals tested positive for IgA TTG showing normal IgA level (1 female and 2 males) with a 1.5% prevalence in the cohort.Conclusions:Positive celiac screening is present at a low prevalence rate in our adult population, in which the individuals’ age and their serum IgA levels are not associated with the positivity level. A study on a larger scale with the application of histologic confirmation of positive cases is needed.

Prevalence of celiac disease in Asia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…[16][17][18]29,30,36,38,39,42 Similarly, of 29 423 children screened in six studies, 133 children were reported to have CD. 17,[31][32][33][34][35]37,43 Therefore, the pooled prevalence of CD amongst children from Asian countries was 0.5% (95% CI 0.3%, 0.7%). 17,[31][32][33][34][35]37,43 There was no significant difference in the prevalence of CD amongst Asian children and Asian adults (P = 0.65).…”

“…17,[31][32][33][34][35]37,43 Therefore, the pooled prevalence of CD amongst children from Asian countries was 0.5% (95% CI 0.3%, 0.7%). 17,[31][32][33][34][35]37,43 There was no significant difference in the prevalence of CD amongst Asian children and Asian adults (P = 0.65). The I 2 test for heterogeneity in children and adult groups were 61% and 59%, respectively, and thus, age of the subjects could not explain the heterogeneity observed in the overall prevalence of CD in these studies.…”

“…Eighteen studies included in this meta-analysis reported seroprevalence of CD in various Asian countries. [16][17][18][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] In these studies, 47 873 individuals were screened using anti-tTG ab and/or AEA, and 884 individuals were reported to be seropositive for CD. Hence, the pooled sero-prevalence of CD using anti-tTG ab and/or AEA in Asian countries was 1.6% (95% CI 1.1%, 2.0%) (Fig.…”

“…Of 18 studies reporting sero-prevalence, intestinal mucosal biopsies were not performed in four of the studies; hence, they were excluded from estimating the pooled prevalence of CD. 32,33,40,41 Of 43 955 individuals screened in the remaining 14 studies, 809 individuals were seropositive for CD using anti-tTG ab and/or AEA. [16][17][18][29][30][31][34][35][36][37][38][39]42,43 Of them, 344 (42.5%) individuals did not undergo duodenal biopsies.…”

Low level autoantibodies can be frequently detected in the general Australian population

“…Laboratories are often reliant on manufacturer's data for reference values (RVs); or commonly, reference data are generated from blood donors who inherently are more likely to be male and younger than seen in the general population. 11,12,21 We take advantage of access to the Busselton Health Study which involves a series of ongoing health surveys combined with sample collections conducted over four decades in a south-west coastal community of Western Australia (WA) of predominantly Caucasian citizens. [22][23][24][25][26] Here, we present AAb data obtained from this cohort using current National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited commercial or in house laboratory assays.…”