Abstract

RODRIGO SAEZ, Luis et al. Differences between pediatric and adult celiac disease. Rev. esp. enferm. dig. [online]. 2011, vol.103, n.5, pp.238-243. ISSN 1130-0108.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1130-01082011000500003.

Introduction: celiac disease (CD) is a common autoimmune condition (involves 1-2% of the general population) that develops at any age in life but manifests differently in children and adults. Objectives: to analyze clinical differences in disease expression between both groups, as well as findings at the time of diagnosis. Methods: a retrospective study of a series of patients diagnosed with CD during childhood (< 14 years) versus a series of adult patients (> 14 years). Results: a total of 187 patients were included, of which 43 were children and 144 were adults. Among clinical manifestations in children classic presentation forms predominated -34 patients (79%) versus 20 adult patients (14%) (p < 0.001) (OR = 23.4; 95% CI: 9.8-56.1). In contrast, atypical forms were predominant in the latter, and anemia was the most common finding in 61 patients (42%) versus 8 pediatric patients (19%) (p < 0.01). Adults had a greater diagnostic delay with a mean 10 ± 9 years versus 1 ± 2 years in children (p < 0.001). In adults, we found a higher frequency of associated autoimmune diseases (24.3 versus 9.3% in children) (p < 0.05). Regarding serum markers, TGt-2 was more commonly positive among children (88%) as compared to adults (31%) (p < 0.001); (OR = 21.4: 95% CI: 7.2-63.6). We found similar results with regard to the presence of villous atrophy, which was more common in children (95%) than in adults (33%) (p < 0.001) (OR = 41.0; 95% CI: 9.5-76.7). As regards genetic markers, DQ2 was somewhat more common in children (97.7%) than in adults (90.3%) whereas DQ8 was less common in children (2.3%) than in adults (9.7%), with no significant differences between groups. Patients negative for both markers were not included. Conclusions: pediatric CD has clear differences when compared to adult CD, with classic forms predominating in the former, who also display a higher occurrence of positive serology and villous atrophy, and less diagnostic delay. In contrast, atypical forms predominate in the adult, with a lower occurrence of positive serology and milder histological forms. In these patients associated autoimmune conditions are more common and diagnostic delay is longer.

Keywords : Pediatric celiac disease; Adult celiac disease.

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