Prevalence of coeliac disease in Turner syndrome

This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of coeliac disease in children and adolescents with Turner syndrome. Eighty-seven children and adolescents with Turner syndrome were screened for IgA-antiendomysium anti bodies (EMA) and IgA-antigliadin antibodies (AGA), 5% (4/87) being found to be EMA-positive, and 15% (13/87) to have AGA levels above normal. Of the 1 0 patients who were either AGA- or EMA-positive and further investigated wi th intestinal biopsy, four manifested villous atrophy (i.e. all three of th e EMA-positive patients, but only one of the seven AGA-positive patients). The results suggest EMA-positivity to be a good immunological marker for us e in screening for coeliac disease, and such screening to be justified in p atients with Turner syndrome.