Background: Anti-transglutaminase antibodies have been proposed as a useful tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of celiac disease.
Aim: To compare anti-transglutaminase antibodies with the classical antibodies used to diagnose celiac disease.
Material and method: Patients who underwent duodenal biopsy for suspected celiac disease were selected if they had the following serum antibody samples: antiendomysial IgA, anti-transglutaminase IgA, antigliadin IgG, and antigliadin IgA. A diagnostic value of each of these antibodies was established according to the final diagnosis, taking the duodenal biopsy as the reference.
Results: One hundred twenty-two patients with duodenal biopsy and serologic markers for celiac disease were selected. Thirty-six patients were children (< 14 years-old) and 86 were adults. A diagnosis of celiac disease was made in 41 patients (26 children and 15 adults). Of the 15 adults, only 2 (13%) presented typical malabsorption syndrome. The sensitivity and specificity of anti-transglutaminase antibodies was 100% and 98% respectively compared with values of 97% and 98% for antiendomysial IgA, 85% and 97% for antigliadin IgA, and 97% and 92% for antigliadin IgG antibodies.
Conclusions: The diagnostic value of anti-transglutaminase antibodies is high in celiac disease. These antibodies may be useful as a screening test to select candidates for duodenal biopsy.