ANTIGLIADIN, ANTIRETICULIN, ANTIENDOMYSIU M ANTIBODIES IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW-UP OF CELIAC-DISEASE IN CHILDREN

In recent years, the clinical spectrum of coeliac disease has changed and forms with mild aspecific symptoms are today frequent. Therefore m any infants are submitted to jejunal biopsy in order to exclude coelia c disease or to allow an early diagnosis. This has led to a search for a simple and reliable diagnostic test of coeliac disease in order to limit the use of jejunal biopsy. Recent data suggest that the study of serum antigliadin, antireticulin and antiendomysium antibodies may po ssibly play the role. In this paper the working group on coeliac disea se of the Groupe Francophone de Gastroenterologie it Nutrition Pediatr iques expresses its view on the place of the dosages of these antibodi es in the diagnosis and follow up procedures of coeliac disease in inf ants and children. At the present time, although it allows a simplific ation of the procedures, these dosages are presently not sufficiently reliable to serve as a substitute of jejunal biopsy.