European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

BIOCHEMICAL DIAGNOSIS OF CELIAC DISEASE

*Dr. Anil Batta and Dr. Hardeep Kaur Mal

ABSTRACT

Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with small intestinal injury that results in the malabsorption of different nutrients. The damaging factor is gluten present in wheat, barley and rye. The diagnosis relies on the clinical picture of the patient, serological markers for celiac disease, characteristic findings of small intestinal biopsy and, eventually, clinical improvement on a gluten-free diet. Our strategies for the diagnosis of celiac disease have changed dramatically within the last 10 years. The advent of serological markers with high sensitivity and specificity is changing our understanding of the disease and its prevalence. Treatment includes a life-long gluten-free diet to prevent the recurrence of symptoms and other potential consequences. Most celiac disease remains under-diagnosed; the utilization of more accurate serological tests and a greater awareness of its many presentations will aid its identification.

Keywords: gluten, barley, HLA-DQ2, CD4 T cells.