Prevalence of associated disorders in Indian patients with celiac disease

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder that may be associated with various diseases that share a similar pathogenic immune mechanism. This study reports on the prevalence of various diseases in a cohort of CD patients in northern India. Patients diagnosed with CD based on modified ESPGHAN criteria were prospectively evaluated for associated concomitant diseases. Of the 363 patients evaluated, 207 (57.0 %) were male. The mean age was 19 years. Seventy-one percent of patients presented with typical diarrheal disease, while 29 % presented with atypical nondiarrheal disease. One or more associated diseases were noted in 70 (19.2 %) patients. Liver diseases were the most common association. Portal hypertension was present in 33 (9 %) patients; chronic liver disease was the underlying cause in 17 patients, while noncirrhotic causes were noted in 16 patients. Type 1 diabetes was seen in 13 and hypothyroidism in 11 patients. Other unreported or rarely reported associated diseases were also found in some of the patients. Associated comorbid diseases are common, and may need to be actively screened, in Indian CD patients.