TY - JOUR
T1 - Looking for celiac disease
T2 - Diagnostic accuracy of two rapid commercial assays
AU - Nemec, Gregor
AU - Ventura, Alessandro
AU - Stefano, Martelossi
AU - Di Leo, Grazia
AU - Baldas, Valentina
AU - Tommasini, Alberto
AU - Ferrara, Fortunato
AU - Taddio, Andrea
AU - Città, Angelo
AU - Sblattero, Daniele
AU - Marzari, Roberto
AU - Not, Tarcisio
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and treatment with gluten-free diet reduces mortality and the prevalence of associated disorders in celiac disease (CD). A simple "in the office" test of anti-transglutaminase antibodies might be of great help in first-line screening for CD. AIMS: We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of two commercial kits based, respectively, on rapid detection of IgA-IgG anti-human-transglutaminase antibodies (anti-h-tTG) in serum and IgA anti-h-tTG antibody in one drop of whole blood. These assays were compared to a well-established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. METHODS: Serum samples were analyzed from 114 biopsy-confirmed celiacs, 120 healthy controls, 20 first-degree relatives of celiacs, and 75 diseased controls. The whole blood samples were analyzed from 51 biopsy-confirmed celiacs and 100 controls. RESULTS: The serum-based test was positive in all 114 celiacs (sensitivity 100%). Among the controls there were seven healthy blood donors, one first-degree relative, and three diseased controls who tested positive (specificity 94.9%). The blood drop-based assay testing IgA antibodies was positive in 46 of 51 (sensitivity 90.2%), and since three of the five patients testing negative had total IgA deficiency, the sensitivity value can be increased to 95.8%. All 100 controls tested negative (specificity 100%). CONCLUSIONS: The commercial kits described here produce high values of sensitivity and specificity, offering the general practitioner who suspects a possible case of CD the real possibility to look for anti-h-tTG antibodies in his own medical office during a standard visit at a satisfyingly low cost.
AB - BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and treatment with gluten-free diet reduces mortality and the prevalence of associated disorders in celiac disease (CD). A simple "in the office" test of anti-transglutaminase antibodies might be of great help in first-line screening for CD. AIMS: We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of two commercial kits based, respectively, on rapid detection of IgA-IgG anti-human-transglutaminase antibodies (anti-h-tTG) in serum and IgA anti-h-tTG antibody in one drop of whole blood. These assays were compared to a well-established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. METHODS: Serum samples were analyzed from 114 biopsy-confirmed celiacs, 120 healthy controls, 20 first-degree relatives of celiacs, and 75 diseased controls. The whole blood samples were analyzed from 51 biopsy-confirmed celiacs and 100 controls. RESULTS: The serum-based test was positive in all 114 celiacs (sensitivity 100%). Among the controls there were seven healthy blood donors, one first-degree relative, and three diseased controls who tested positive (specificity 94.9%). The blood drop-based assay testing IgA antibodies was positive in 46 of 51 (sensitivity 90.2%), and since three of the five patients testing negative had total IgA deficiency, the sensitivity value can be increased to 95.8%. All 100 controls tested negative (specificity 100%). CONCLUSIONS: The commercial kits described here produce high values of sensitivity and specificity, offering the general practitioner who suspects a possible case of CD the real possibility to look for anti-h-tTG antibodies in his own medical office during a standard visit at a satisfyingly low cost.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745574976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00597.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00597.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0002-9270
VL - 101
SP - 1597
EP - 1600
JO - American Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - American Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 7
ER -