Demographics, serology and vitamin D status in Jordanians with coeliac disease

Abstract EN

Background : Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy that causes intestinal villous atrophy and malabsorption.

One of the malabsorbed micronutrients is vitamin D.

Objective : This retrospective study analysed epidemiological aspects of Jordanian CD patients, their serum vitamin D levels and anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA and IgG antibody levels at King Hussein Medical Centre.

Methods : In this retrospective analysis we identified 116 biopsy-proven CD patients between 2016 and 2019.

The computerized patient record system was the referral source for the following clinical and laboratory parameters: age, gender, presenting symptoms, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 level and anti-tTG IgA and IgG antibody levels.

Data were analysed with SPSS version 26 software for statistical significance using the Mann-Whitney U test; a p value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant.

Results : 116 CD patients showed female predominance, with a female/male ratio of 1.8:1, and an age range of 3–78 years.

Seventeen patients (15%) were asymptomatic.

Positive serum tTG IgA or IgG antibodies, or both, were found in 81 patients (69.8%).

Sixty patients (51.73%) were vitamin D deficient, 41 (35.33%) were insufficient and 15 (12.93%) had sufficient levels.

No correlation was found between any parameters apart from a positive correlation between tTG IgA and IgG antibodies (p = 0.009).

Conclusion : Vitamin D deficiency is common in CD patients and should be ruled out regardless of age, presenting symptoms or anti-tTG antibody status.