Un análisis de las características de la enfermedad celíaca: revisión de la literatura

Resumen

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of Celiac Disease (CD). Literature review: CD is an autoimmune condition due to a specific serological and histological profile triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals, that is, with Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) class II in HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1. The classic presentation of CD includes diarrhea, steatorrhea, abdominal pain, abdominal distension and weight loss, symptoms mainly attributed to poor digestion and malabsorption associated with intestinal villous atrophy. In adults, malabsorption syndrome with chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and significant asthenia is quite rare, being more common in the pediatric population. Up to a third of adults suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases associated with CD, mainly Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AIT) and type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM1), among others. Final considerations: CD is a multisystem disease characterized by permanent intolerance to gluten. This results from an inappropriate T cell-mediated immune response to ingested gluten that causes immune-mediated damage to the small intestine in genetically predisposed people. The global prevalence of CD is 1%. CD can occur at any age, from infancy to old age, with two peaks of onset, one shortly after weaning from gluten in the first 2 years of life and another during the second or third decade of life with a preference for feminine sex.