Serological Screening of Celiac Disease in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Abstract

There is a possible association between celiac disease (CD) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Our aim was to evaluate the serological incidence of CD in patients with JIA. Children under 16 years of age with JIA who did not respond adequately to routine treatment, who referred to the pediatric centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (2017–2019), were enrolled in this study. Manifestations of CD were also evaluated. CD-related serological screening tests were measured. Seventy-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 7.9±3.9 (1.6–16) years. Three patients with oligoarticular JIA had Anti-TTG-Ab levels above normal (prevalence=3.8%). None of them had symptoms of CD. There were no significant statistical differences in terms of growth disorders, sex distribution, and different subtypes of JIA (P value ˃ 0.05) between the groups (sero-positive vs. sero-negative). In one case, CD was confirmed by pathology and the gluten-free diet was recommended. The absence of CD symptoms in patients with JIA does not rule out concomitant CD.