The Prevalence Of Celiac Disease in Saudi Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: The relationship between type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and celiac disease (CD) has been known. The prevalence of CD in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has not been determined. We examined the prevalence of celiac CD in patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with T1DM. Methods: A cross-sectional study for 218 patients with T1DM at the diabetic clinic of King Fahd Armed Force Hospital in Jeddah, KSA between January 2008 and June 2009. Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (AntiTTG) was done in all patients. Duodenal biopsy were performed for patients with positive serology for Anti-TTG antibodies. Results: There were 69 males and 54 females who ranged in age from 12-50 years (mean ± SD 21.3 ± 7.2). The age at onset of type I diabetes mellitus was 13.8 ± 7.1 and the duration of type I diabetes mellitus was between 1 and 28 years (7.6 ± 5.7). Elevated Anti-TTG levels were found in the sera of 16 (7.3%) of 218 diabetic patients in our clinic. The gender ratio of the Anti-TTG positive is 1 male: 3 female. All None had any gastrointestinal symptoms. 12 of the 16 subjects had duodonal biopsies and 8 ( 3.7% ) biopsies showed total villous atrophy, 2 ( 0.8% ) subtotal villous atrophy and 2 ( 0.8 % ) chronic duodonitis , biopsy was not carried out in the other 4 subjects. Conclusion: The maximum prevalence of celiac disease in our population was 7.3% based on immunological marker and the minimum was 4.6% based on antibodies and biopsy results.