ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in Iranian patients suffering from chronic depression or schizophrenia. Psychiatric disorders are common in untreated celiac disease. Two hundred Iranian inpatient men with in chronic phase of depressive disorders or schizophrenia, and 200 age-matched healthy male subjects were screened for celiac disease by anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies. The mean age of the study patients was 37 years. One [1%] schizophrenic and two [2%] depressive patients were positive for anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies; duodenal biopsy was not possible in these subjects. In the control group one [0.5%] individual was positive for anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies, but had normal duodenal histology. The difference between patients and controls was not statistically significant. The frequency of celiac disease serology in schizophrenic and depressive inpatients was not significantly higher than that in the general population. We would therefore not advocate systematic serologic screening in these patients, but alertness to celiac disease should be kept in mind
ABSTRACT
To determine celiac disease [CD] serology and rotavirus [RV] by polymerase reaction [PCR] in adults with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints. The study comprised 5176 randomly selected individuals living in Tehran, Iran between September 2006 and September 2007. Six hundred and seventy individuals with GI symptoms were identified with a questionnaire and invited for a further study including stool sampling and blood tests. Stool samples were examined for detection of RV by amplification of specific gene [VP6] and by light microscopy and formalin-ether concentration methods for parasite detection. The subjects also tested for CD including anti-transglutaminase [tTG] antibodies and total immunoglobulin A [IgA]. The study was carried out in the Research Center of Gastroentrology and Liver Disease, Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The VP6 gene was detected in 150 [22.3%] individuals. Anti-tissue transglutaminase [tTG-IgA] was positive in 22 individuals [95% CI 2.3-5.1] and IgG-tTG antibody in 3 individuals who were IgA deficient. Amplification of VP6 gene was positive in 8/25 [32%] with positive CD serology and in 142/645 [22%] with negative CD serology. This difference was not statistically significant [p=0.2]. This study shows that RV infection is common among Iranian patients with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. However, in contrast to studies in children, this study shows that the prevalence of active RV infection was not statistically significantly different between individuals who were tTG antibody positive and those who were tTG antibody negative