ENDOMYSIAL ANTIBODIES AS UNRELIABLE MARKERS FOR SLIGHT DIETARY TRANSGRESSIONS IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CELIAC-DISEASE

Adolescents with celiac disease often fail to adhere to a strict glute n-free diet. The value of endomysial antibodies in assessing the dieta ry compliance of such adolescents has been assessed in 23 patients div ided into four groups according to their daily gluten intake. Serum en domysial antibodies were absent in all subjects on a gluten-free diet and consistently present in those ingesting >2 g/day of gluten. Only o ne of six and three of six teenagers with celiac disease with an intak e of <0.5 and 0.5-2 g/day, respectively, had endomysial antibodies in their serum, despite the presence in three of six and five of six of s ignificant changes in the mucosal architecture, as shown by computeriz ed morphometry of jejunal biopsies. In conclusion, endomysial antibodi es cannot be considered a valid marker for slight dietary transgressio ns.