Latent celiac disease in reproductive performance of women.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of positive serologic findings for celiac disease in Indian women with poor reproductive performance. DESIGN Cross-sectional except that the women with intrauterine growth restriction were followed prospectively until delivery. SETTING Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of a tertiary teaching hospital, New Delhi. PATIENT(S) Eight hundred ninety-three women (104 women with idiopathic recurrent abortion, 104 women with unexplained stillbirth, 230 cases of unexplained infertility, 150 pregnant women with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction, 305 control cases). INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The presence of antigliadin IgA and IgG, anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA by ELISA, and IgA antiendomysium antibody by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. RESULT(S) The seroprevalence of transglutaminase IgA was 6.70% in the group with recurrent abortion, 5.70% in the group with stillbirth, 5.65% in the group with infertility, 9.33% in the group with intrauterine growth restriction, and 1.30% in the control group. Rates of previous preterm births, low-birth-weight infants, and cesarean section were higher in seropositive women compared with seronegative subjects. CONCLUSION(S) Women having poor reproductive performance had subclinical celiac disease. The serology for celiac disease can be considered in idiopathic cases.