Clinical utility of urinary gluten immunogenic peptides in the follow-up of patients with coeliac disease.

BACKGROUND

Gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only treatment for patients with coeliac disease (CD) and its compliance should be monitored to avoid cumulative damage.

AIMS

To analyse gluten exposures of coeliac patients on GFD for at least 24 months using different monitoring tools and its impact on duodenal histology at 12-month follow-up and evaluate the interval of determination of urinary gluten immunogenic peptides (u-GIP) for the monitoring of GFD adherence.

METHODS

Ninety-four patients with CD on a GFD for at least 24 months were prospectively included. Symptoms, serology, CDAT questionnaire, and u-GIP (three samples/visit) were analysed at inclusion, 3, 6, and 12 months. Duodenal biopsy was performed at inclusion and 12 months.

RESULTS

At inclusion, 25.8% presented duodenal mucosal damage; at 12 months, this percentage reduced by half. This histological improvement was indicated by a reduction in u-GIP but did not correlate with the remaining tools. The determination of u-GIP detected a higher number of transgressions than serology, regardless of histological evolution type. The presence of >4 u-GIP-positive samples out of 12 collected during 12 months predicted histological lesion with a specificity of 93%. Most patients (94%) with negative u-GIP in ≥2 follow-up visits showed the absence of histological lesions (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the frequency of recurrent gluten exposures, according to serial determination of u-GIP, could be related to the persistence of villous atrophy and that a more regular follow-up every 6 months, instead of annually, provides more useful data about the adequate adherence to GFD and mucosal healing.