Screening for Celiac Disease Using Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody Assays in Healthy Students Individuals

Abstract

This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of seropositivity of celiac disease among apparently healthy individuals. Between December / 2014 to March / 2015, eighty four apparently healthy students (42 males and 42 females) of the Technical College/Kirkuk with mean age ± standard deviation of 22.25 ± 2.85 years where participated in the study. All subjects were serologically screened for the presence of immunoglobulin A and G of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA-tTG and IgG-tTG) by using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). In total, 84 students (42 males and 42 females). There was only five students (5.9%) who had a seropositive for celiac disease, including 4 females and 1 male, among them only one female showed positive results of both IgA and IgG anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA-tTG and IgG-tTG), while the remaining students (3 females and 1 male) revealed negative results of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies and positive results of IgG anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. The Computerized Microsoft Excel program was performed by using proportions and mean ± standard deviation. In conclusions, positive celiac screening is existent at a high prevalence rate in our healthy individuals, in which the individuals' IgA deficiency are detected with the positivity of IgG anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. Females are more affected than males. A study widely is needed to estimate the real prevalence by substantiation of positive cases with histological examination.