Investigation of Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody Normalization in Response to Gluten-Free Diet in Children with Celiac Disease

Abstract

A very limited amount of data are available regarding the follow-up of celiac disease (CD) treatment in Iran. The aim of this study is to investigate antitissue transglutaminase (atTG) normalization interval and the associated factors in CD patients. This retrospective study included CD patients enrolled in Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The initial atTG titer and histological evaluation (with Marsh grade ≥2) were recorded. The atTG titer was assessed in each follow-up until the time of normalization where children were strictly on gluten-free diet. The age at the time of diagnosis, gender, Marsh grade at the time of diagnosis, other comorbidities, and family history of CD patients were recorded to determine the association of these factors with antibody normalization interval. In total, 71 patients were recruited in the study of which 34 (47.89%) subjects had atTG level below 20 U/mL at the average interval of 31.36 (± 2.89) months (95% confidence interval: 25.7-37.02). There was no significant difference between the antibody normalization interval and different age ranges and Marsh grade. Cox regression demonstrated that gender, age ranges, Marsh grade, positive family history of CD, and the presence of comorbidities did not significantly predict longer antibody normalization interval.