A Brazilian experience of the self transglutaminase based test for celiac disease

World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Sep 21;15(35):4423-8.

A Brazilian experience of the self transglutaminase-based test for celiac disease case finding and diet monitoring.

Kotze LM, Brambila Rodrigues AP, Kotze LR, Nisihara RM. Rua Bruno Filgueira, 369 - Cj 1205, CEP 80240-220, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a rapid and easy fingertip whole blood point-of-care test for celiac disease (CD) case finding and diet monitoring.

METHODS: Three hundred individuals, 206 females (68.7%) and 94 males (31.3%), were submitted to a rapid and easy immunoglobulin-A-class fingertip whole blood point-of-care test in the doctor's office in order to make immediate clinical decisions: 13 healthy controls, 6 with CD suspicion, 46 treated celiacs, 84 relatives of the celiac patients, 69 patients with dyspepsia, 64 with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 8 with Crohn's disease and 9 with other causes of diarrhea.

RESULTS: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with duodenal biopsies was performed in patients with CD suspicion and in individuals with positive test outcome: in 83.3% (5/6) of the patients with CD suspicion, in 100% of the patients that admitted gluten-free diet transgressions (6/6), in 3.8% of first-degree relatives (3/79) and in 2.9% of patients with dyspepsia (2/69). In all these individuals duodenal biopsies confirmed CD (Marsh's histological classification). The studied test showed good correlation with serologic antibodies, endoscopic and histological findings.

CONCLUSION: The point-of-care test was as reliable as conventional serological tests in detecting CD cases and in CD diet monitoring.

PMID: 19764094 [PubMed - in process]