Background: Earlier reports have suggested that a relationship exists between chronic liver disease and coeliac disease (CD). Gliadin antibodies (GA) have been used to screen for CD.
Methods: Using a micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent procedure, we analysed sera from 327 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease for GA (IgA and IgG) and evaluated their clinical significance.
Results: GA were detected in 19 patients (6%), a prevalence six times greater than that found in healthy blood donors. In 9 of the 19 patients the liver disease had been classified as cryptogenic. The occurrence of GA was independent of the degree of hepatocellular impairment. A diagnosis of CD was confirmed in 5 of the 10 patients who underwent small-bowel biopsy.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest the prevalence of CD in patients with chronic liver disease to be at least 1.5%--that is, 15 times higher than in the general population. They also suggest that the possible presence of CD should be considered in cases of chronic 'cryptogenic' liver disease.