Celiac disease in the Turkish population

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Celiac disease (CD) is a significant cause of malabsorption in the small intestine.
• Advancements in serologic testing have improved CD diagnosis and revealed increasing prevalence.
• Understanding the specific characteristics of CD in diverse populations is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features of celiac disease in Turkish adults.
• To analyze trends in CD diagnosis over time within this demographic.
• To establish the first comprehensive profile of CD in Turkish adults.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients from 1968-2002 and prospective follow-up from 2002 onwards.
• Inclusion of 60 adult patients (39 female, 21 male) diagnosed with CD.
• Evaluation of clinical symptoms, comorbidities, laboratory values, and histopathological findings.

Main Results:

• Common symptoms included diarrhea, weight loss, and flatulence; common comorbidities were anemia, osteoporosis, type 1 diabetes, and steatohepatitis.
• Histopathological findings revealed increased lymphocytes in the lamina propria (76.2%) and villus epithelium (59.5%).
• A notable increase in CD cumulative frequency was observed in females compared to males over the study period.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first detailed characterization of celiac disease in Turkish adults.
• The findings suggest a high prevalence of CD in the Turkish population, supported by previous antibody positivity data.
• Increased awareness and diagnostic suspicion are contributing to a rise in CD diagnoses, especially among females.