Celiac Sprue Workup

  • Author: Stephan U Goebel, MD; Chief Editor: Julian Katz, MD   more...
 
Updated: May 21, 2012
 

Laboratory Studies

  • Patients with diabetes mellitus type 1, Down syndrome, or Turner syndrome have an increased incidence of celiac disease.
  • Electrolytes and chemistries
    • Electrolyte imbalances, such as hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and metabolic acidosis, can develop.
    • Evidence of malnutrition, such as hypoalbuminemia, hypoproteinemia, hypocholesterolemia, and a low serum carotene level, might be present.
  • Hematologic tests
    • Anemia due to deficiency in iron, folate, and, rarely, vitamin B-12 might be present.
    • A low serum iron level is common.
    • The prothrombin time (PT) might be prolonged because of malabsorption of vitamin K.
  • Stool examination
    • The typical bulky, greasy appearance and rancid odor of stools often suggest malabsorption of fat.
    • Findings from a Sudan stain of the stool might reveal fat droplets.
    • For a more quantitative measurement of fat absorption, a 72-hour fecal fat collection is frequently helpful in documenting steatorrhea.
  • Oral tolerance tests
    • Excretion of breath hydrogen, a product of bacterial fermentation of unabsorbed lactose, is often elevated in celiac sprue.
    • The oral D-xylose tolerance test can reveal carbohydrate malabsorption. D-xylose is absorbed preferentially in the proximal small intestine and excreted unmetabolized in the urine. In untreated celiac sprue, urinary D-xylose excretion and peak blood xylose levels are depressed.
    • Lactose tolerance is another oral tolerance test.
  • Serology
    • The most sensitive and specific antibodies for the confirmation of celiac disease are tissue transglutaminase IgA, endomysial IgA, and reticulin IgA and correlate with the degree of mucosal damage. As the incidence of selective IgA deficiency is higher among patients with celiac disease, total IgA serum concentrations should be determined. If the patient is IgA deficient, tissue transglutaminase IgG can be measured.
    • The presence of serum IgA antibody to endomysium in untreated celiac sprue has higher sensitivity and higher specificity than antigliadin antibodies. However, serum IgA antiendomysial antibody often becomes undetectable after 6-12 months of gluten withdrawal. Persistently elevated IgA endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibodies for 12 months usually indicate poor compliance with a gliadin-free diet.
    • Seronegative celiac disease has been reported in 6.4-9.1% of patients with normal IgA serum concentrations; however, these patients either were elderly or had severe disease.
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Imaging Studies

  • Small bowel barium studies
    • Radiographic evaluation of the small bowel after barium ingestion is helpful in making a diagnosis of untreated celiac sprue.
    • Abnormal radiographic findings can include dilatation of the small intestine, a coarsening or obliteration of the normally delicate mucosal pattern, and fragmentation or flocculation of the barium in the gut lumen.
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Procedures

  • Upper endoscopy with at least 6 duodenal biopsies is considered the criterion standard to help establish a diagnosis of celiac disease. Serology and endoscopy should be considered, especially in patients presenting with classical symptoms, evidence of malabsorption, and endoscopic findings, including mucosal fold scalloping, reduced mucosal folds, and mosaic pattern.
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Histologic Findings

Celiac sprue primarily involves the mucosa of the small intestine. The submucosa, muscularis, and serosa are usually not involved. The villi are atrophic or absent with a decreased villous-to-crypt ratio (normal ratio, 4-5:1) and crypts are hyperplastic. The cellularity of the lamina propria is increased with a proliferation of plasma cells and lymphocytes. The number of intraepithelial lymphocytes per unit length of absorptive epithelium is increased (normal intraepithelial lymphocyte to epithelial cell ratio, 1:10).

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Staging

Histologically, duodenal biopsies can be graded into the following 5 stages:

  • Stage 0 - Normal
  • Stage 1 - Increased percentage of intraepithelial lymphocytes (>30%)
  • Stage 2 - Characterized by an increased presence of inflammatory cells and crypt cell proliferation with preserved villous architecture
  • Stage 3 - Mild (A), moderate (B), and subtotal to total (C) villous atrophy
  • Stage 4 - Total mucosal hypoplasia
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Stephan U Goebel, MD  Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine

Stephan U Goebel, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Gastroenterological Association and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mounzer Al Al Samman, MD  Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University School of Medicine

Mounzer Al Al Samman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, and American Gastroenterological Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

James L Achord, MD  Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi School of Medicine

James L Achord, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Mississippi State Medical Association, New York Academy of Sciences, Sigma Xi, and Southern Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP  Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Julian Katz, MD  Clinical Professor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine

Julian Katz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association, American Geriatrics Society, American Medical Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, American Trauma Society, Association of American Medical Colleges, and Physicians for Social Responsibility

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Jan-Michael A Klapproth, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine

Jan-Michael A Klapproth, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Federation for Medical Research, American Gastroenterological Association, and Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Vincent W Yang, MD, PhD R Bruce Logue Professor, Director, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine

Vincent W Yang, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Clinical Investigation, and Association of American Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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