[Anti-gliadin antibodies in the diagnosis and follow-up of celiac disease].

The study assessed the value of anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) as a diagnostic test for celiac disease (CD) by examining 219 children: 57 were affected by malabsorption syndrome and underwent the first duodenojejunal biopsy; 83 underwent a secondary diagnostic phase for CD; 44 underwent a challenge test; 35 controls. Duodenojejunal biopsy was performed in all subjects in the three stages of diagnosis for CD. By comparing AGA levels and on the basis of histological tests of duodenojejunal mucosa it is possible to confirm the reliability of the method as a screening test for use in subjects whose clinical symptoms suggest CD. AGA are however less reliable in the second and third stages, that is to say in the follow-up of CD, since they do not always reflect the conditions of intestinal mucosa.