Prevalence of celiac disease in collagenous and lymphocytic colitis

Both collagenous and lymphocytic colitis have been described in patients wi th celiac disease, suggesting an association between the conditions. Over t he past few years, the availability, sensitivity and specificity of serolog ical markers for celiac disease have improved - the most recent advancement being the description of tissue transglutaminase as the major antigen for endomysium antibody. A quantitative ELISA was used to measure titres of imm unoglobulin A (IgA) antibody to tissue transglutaminase (tTG) along with an immunofluorescent technique for IgA endomysium antibody (EmA) in 15 patien ts with lymphocytic colitis and eight with collagenous colitis to determine whether celiac disease latency could be detected. One patient with lymphoc ytic colitis demonstrated both elevated titres of tTG antibody and positive EmA, and small bowel biopsy confirmed celiac disease. One patient with col lagenous colitis had a slightly elevated titre of tTG antibody with a negat ive EmA, and results of a small bowel biopsy were normal. Three other patie nts with lymphocytic colitis were already treated for previously diagnosed celiac disease. The prevalence of celiac disease occurring in lymphocytic c olitis was found to be 27%, but no cases of celiac disease in association w ith collagenous colitis were found.