Celiac Disease in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Celiac disease occurs primarily in whites of northern European ancestry. Previous beliefs aboutepidemiology of celiac disease in Iran has changed after recent studies on the disease. The aim of this study is to find the frequency of celiac disease among patients with irritable bowel syndrome.During one-year period (2006-07), patients with irritable bowel syndrome with Rome II criteria referred to the University Clinic in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, South of Iran, were studied to identify those who had also celiac disease. Serologic tests were used to screen patients for celiac disease. If the serologic test became positive, a duodenal biopsy was taken to confirm the diagnosis.150 patients fulfilling Rome II criteria for irritable bowel syndrome were evaluated. 19 (12.7%) patientswere found to have tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibody; out of these 19 patients, 15 (10% of total cases) had abnormal intestinal pathology according to the modified Marsh classification,5 had type I, 6 type II, 3 type IIIA and 1 had type IIIB lesions.Celiac disease is a relatively common finding among patients with irritable bowel syndrome.