PURPOSE OF REVIEW The number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease continues to rise, and this article critically summarizes recent research into the condition. RECENT FINDINGS Much work has been focused on clarifying the molecular pathways involving cytokines in coeliac disease. Such work will yield improved understanding of the complex pathogenesis of coeliac disease and novel therapeuti...

HLA antigens and various aspects of atopy were studied in 42 Finnish children and adolescents with coeliac disease, and the results were compared with findings of recent population studies. The HLA associations were as expected: relative risks for coeliac disease in individuals with HLA-B8, DR3, and DR7 were 8 . 0, 18 . 6, and 15 . 0, respectively. Children with coeliac disease were significant...

BACKGROUND In recent years there has been increasing recognition that the pattern of presentation of coeliac disease may be changing. The classic sprue syndrome with diarrhoea and weight loss may be less common than the more subtle presentations of coeliac disease such as an isolated iron deficiency anaemia. As a result, the diagnosis of this treatable condition is often delayed or missed. Rece...

................................................................................................... 7 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...................................................................... 9 Human Immunology and HLA ....................................................................... 9 Intestinal mucosal immunology .......................................................................

C oeliac disease is a lifelong intolerance to dietary gluten. Untreated it can result in malabsorption, vitamin deficiencies, anaemia, and osteoporosis. Although histology remains the cornerstone of diagnosis, over the past decade serological testing for coeliac disease has facilitated the earlier recognition of coeliac disease and the detection of milder cases. Recent studies have suggested th...

Population-based screening studies suggest an overall prevalence of coeliac disease in Western populations of about 1%. A variety of neurological problems have been associated with coeliac disease occurring in up to 10% of cases of adult coeliac disease. We report an interesting case of a patient with coeliac disease who subsequently developed neurological symptoms several years later. Furtherm...

Coeliac disease is caused by dietary gluten, triggering a chronic inflammation of the small intestine in genetically predisposed individuals. Recently, a risk locus on chromosome 2q11-q12, harbouring interleukin 18 receptor accessory protein (IL18RAP) and three other genes, was suggested for coeliac disease. IL18 has been shown to play an important role in T helper type 1 activity in coeliac di...

Serum lysozyme activities were measured in 34 control subjects, 13 untreated adult coeliac patients, 21 adult coeliac patients on gluten-free diet, and eight coeliac patients with a histiocytic lymphoma. Serum lysozyme activities were raised in three untreated patients, three patients treated with a gluten-free diet, and in only two patients with coeliac disease and lymphoma. Serum lysozyme est...

Depression-anxiety levels and the quality of life among children and adolescents with coeliac disease Objective: Coeliac disease is a chronic and inflammatory disease of the upper small intestine resulting from faulty gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. There is no sufficient data about the psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in children and adolescents with coeliac di...