Hospital screening of coeliac disease in Estonian children by anti-gliadin antibodies of IgA class.

Seven hundred consecutive patients from Tartu Children's Clinic were screened for coeliac disease by IgA class anti-gliadin antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent test during January 1 to May 31, 1991. A positive anti-gliadin antibody test result was revealed in 11 children and in 8 coeliac disease was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. There was no suspicion of coeliac disease before anti-gliadin antibody determinations in five children and two were asymptomatic. In five children, no suspicion of coeliac disease was raised beforehand. The present study shows that coeliac disease is underdiagnosed in Estonia.