CELIAC-DISEASE IN TYPE-1 DIABETES-MELLITU S

Coexistence of Coeliac Disease and Diabetes Mellitus type I has been d escribed in several reports. We screened 108 children with Diabetes Me llitus type I and no history of intestinal malabsorption for Coeliac D isease using measurement of anti endomysial IgA and antigliadin Ige an tibodies. Nine patients had abnormal concentration of anti endomysial or antigliadin antibodies: eight of these have an intestinal biopsy ca rried out and all had subtotal villous atrophy suggestive of coeliac d isease. In these patients six month of gluten free diet do not result in better metabolic control of Diabetes The prevalence of coeliac dise ase among diabetics children (7.4%) was thus higher than previoulsly r eported.