Objective: Scientific findings regarding the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the Arab world are scarce. We aimed to determine the prevalence of biopsy-proven celiac disease (BPCD) among pediatric patients with T1D from Jordan. We also assessed the possible predictors for developing CD in this cohort of patients and we compared T1D patients who developed BPCD with those who had positive CD serology but negative histology and/or fluctuating CD serology.
Methods: Celiac serology and duodenal biopsy results from 2012 to 2017 were collected from patients with T1D. The outcome of positive celiac serology and the risk factors for CD in T1D patients were investigated.
Results: A total of 538 children of which 278 boys (51.7%) were included in the study. The prevalence of positive serology and the diagnosis of BPCD in this cohort of T1D patients were 16.6 and 9.1% respectively. Eighty percent of those with BPCD were asymptomatic and 47% were diagnosed with CD at onset of T1D. Spontaneous normalization of celiac serology occurred in 23.6% of those with positive serology.
Conclusion: CD is prevalent in T1D pediatric patients from Jordan (9.1%). It is often asymptomatic and the majority of cases were diagnosed at onset or within 5 years of T1D diagnosis. Spontaneous normalization of CD serology occurred in some patients with T1D. Hence, a watchful follow-up is recommended in such patients.