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Increased prevalence of silent celiac disease among Greek epileptic children

Antigoni Mavroudi1, Mavroudi Antigoni, Ioannis Xinias

  • 13rd Pediatric Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Medical School, Hippocration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Pediatric Neurology
|March 14, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Silent celiac disease is more common in children with epilepsy. Testing for tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies is a good screening method for celiac disease in these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Celiac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy linked to gluten intake in susceptible individuals.
  • Associations between epilepsy, celiac disease, and intracranial calcifications have been reported.
  • The prevalence of silent celiac disease in pediatric epilepsy requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of celiac disease in children with idiopathic epilepsy.
  • To evaluate the diagnostic utility of specific antibody markers for celiac disease in this population.
  • To determine the association between celiac disease and intracranial calcifications in epileptic children.

Main Methods:

  • Screening 255 children with idiopathic epilepsy for various celiac disease antibodies (IgA, IgG antigliadin, IgA antitissue transglutaminase, IgA antiendomysial, antireticulin).
  • Performing small intestinal biopsies in patients with positive IgA antigliadin antibodies.
  • Comparing findings with 280 healthy control children.

Main Results:

  • Five epileptic children showed intestinal histopathologic changes and/or positive celiac disease antibodies, not observed in controls (P = 0.0241).
  • No intracranial calcifications were found in epileptic children diagnosed with celiac disease.
  • The study identified an increased prevalence of silent celiac disease in children with idiopathic epilepsy.

Conclusions:

  • Silent celiac disease is more prevalent in children with idiopathic epilepsy, irrespective of epilepsy type.
  • Serum IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibodies show promise as a reliable screening marker for celiac disease.
  • Occipital corticosubcortical calcifications appear to be less common in pediatric epilepsy patients with celiac disease.

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