Celiac disease and the endocrinologist: a diagnostic opportunity

To review the association of celiac disease and various endocrine disorders and present the related clinical experience of a 3-physician adult endocrinology practice.

We provide an overview of the pertinent literature, discuss the clinical manifestations, genetics, and pathogenesis of celiac disease, and describe our clinical experience during a 5-year period.

Celiac disease has been associated with numerous disorders, including several conditions treated by endocrinologists-type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroid disease, Addison disease, osteomalacia, secondary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D or iron deficiency, fertility problems, hypogonadism in men, and autoimmune hypopituitarism. After our clinical awareness was raised about these potential comorbidities, 18 patients were newly diagnosed with celiac disease in our clinical practice during a 5-year interval. All patients had been referred for endocrine evaluation or were undergoing follow-up for ongoing management of endocrine disorders. When a "celiac-associated" endocrine disorder coexists with other factors associated with celiac disease, we recommend performance of IgA class antibody testing, and either antiendomysial or anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies provide high specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of celiac disease.

Endocrinologists have an opportunity to diagnose celiac disease, a relatively common disorder with profound clinical implications that can often be associated with various endocrinopathies.