Characteristics of Siblings With Celiac Disease Diagnosed by Family Screening

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the features of asymptomatic siblings of index celiac patients who were diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) at the initial screening. Methods We reviewed hospital records of 210 children with CD. The characteristics of sibling celiacs ( n =24) were compared with index celiacs ( n =186). Results At diagnosis, sibling celiacs were older than index celiacs (mean (SD) 10.4 (2.7) vs 8.2 (4.3) years; P=0.02). There were no significant differences between sibling and index celiacs in terms of serum anti-tTG IgA titer (≥10xULN, 83.3% vs 85%), and most of the patients had moderate/severe villous atrophy in both groups. The rates of iron deficiency anemia, folic acid deficiency, wasting and stunting were comparable between sibling and index celiac patients. Conclusions Siblings with CD were older than index children with CD at diagnosis, and their characteristics were similar to symptomatic index children with CD, despite not having any complaints.