ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine if authentic cases of irritable bowel syndrome could be secondary in a latent or potential coeliac disease. All new patients who consulted for irritable bowel syndrome fulfilling Rome II criteria between 01/04/2003 and 30/03/2004 were included. All patients had upper endoscopy with duodenal biopsy and colonoscopy or enema. Then they were investigated for celiac disease by analysis of serum IgA antigliadin, IgG antigliadin, and endomysial antibodies. One hundred patients with irritable bowel syndrome were included. They had an average age of 45.5 +/- 0.98 and they were 61 women. Clinical signs were dominated by abdominal pains associated to constipation [69% of the cases]. Five patients had positive antigliadin antibody [IgG for 2 patients and IgA for 3 patients]. None of them had endomysial antibodies nor abnormal duodenal biopsy. This study didn't provide a relation between celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome when it is associated to constipation