Celiac Disease-Related Antibodies in Italian Children With Epilepsy

Giordano, Lucio; Valotti, Monica; Bosetti, Adonella; Accorsi, Patrizia; Caimi, Luigi; Imberti, Luisa

doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2009.02.009

« Previous Next »Pediatric Neurology
Volume 41, Issue 1 , Pages 34-36, July 2009

Celiac Disease-Related Antibodies in Italian Children With Epilepsy

Lucio Giordano, MD
- Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Division, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Monica Valotti, BSc
- Biotechnology Laboratory of the Diagnostics Department, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Adonella Bosetti, BSc
- Biotechnology Laboratory of the Diagnostics Department, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Patrizia Accorsi, MD
- Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Division, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Luigi Caimi, MD
- Biotechnology Laboratory of the Diagnostics Department, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Luisa Imberti, MD
- Biotechnology Laboratory of the Diagnostics Department, City Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Communications should be addressed to: Dr. Imberti; Diagnostics Department, Biotechnology Laboratory, Spedali Civili di Brescia, pz.le Spedali Civili, 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.

Received 11 November 2008; accepted 10 February 2009.

Reports differ on the association between epilepsy and celiac disease, an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. In this study, 272 Italian children with epilepsy and 300 healthy children were screened for anti-gliadin and anti-transglutaminase immunoglobulin A and G; positive and borderline samples were tested for the presence of anti-endomysium antibodies. The prevalence of antibodies related to celiac disease was comparable to that of healthy controls. In keeping with this observation, Italian epileptic children should not be considered a group at risk for celiac disease.