Celiac disease: clinical features and diagnostic criteria

Celiac disease (CD) classically presents between 9-18 months of age but in India there is a significant delay in the onset of symptoms (3-4 years) and the age of presentation (6.8-9.2 years). Failure to thrive, anemia, and muscle wasting are more common in children. Symptomatic CD represents the tip of the iceberg. Clinically there may be overt, silent, latent and potential CD. Modified ESPGAN criteria for diagnosis of CD is based on demonstration of characteristic histological changes in small intestinal biopsy while on gluten, and unequivocal clinical improvement when on gluten free diet. However, in developing countries there are several conditions which can give rise to villous atrophy and using it as a diagnostic criteria may lead to overdiagnosis of CD. IgA antigliadin antibody has a high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (90%) for CD and hence, may be an ideal adjunct to modified ESPGAN criteria in the diagnosis of CD in India.