Healthcare

One of the diagnosis to detect subclinical celiac disease in women is serological screening tests.
With this test, the risk of subclinical celiac disease can be detected.

According to the researchers from India, the risk for having subclinical celiac disease might associated with women who had unexplained infertility, and experienced with recurrent abortion and stillbirths or intrauterine growth retardation. When left treated, it might leading to reproductive problems.

As there was few studies related to the effect of subclinical celiac disease on reproductive performance, instead the relationship never investigated in India, therefore the researchers, Dr. Kumar from Maulana Azad Medical College & Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, and colleagues, initiated the study to investigate it.

The researchers explained that by biopsy-confirmed, women with full blown untreated celiac disease are known to have reproductive problems if they don’t adhere strictly to treat the disease with taking a diet with free gluten.

Those suggestion just reported in Fertility and Sterility on November 24, 2010.

893 women (104 had idiopathic recurrent abortion, 104 had unexplained stillbirth, 230 had unexplained infertility, 150 were pregnant and had idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction, and 305 women with normal obstetric histories that acted as controls) involved in the study.

For instance, the author found that based on Immunogloblulin A (IgA)-Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibody titers, compared with controls, the risk of having subclinical celiac disease as following;
- 5.43 times in recurrent spontaneous abortion group,
- 4.61 times in stillbirth group,
- 7.75 times in intrauterine growth restriction group, and
- 4.51 times in unexplained infertility group.

In addition, the researchers noted that rates of previous preterm births, low birth weight infants, and cesarean section were higher in seropositive than seronegative subjects.

The authors explained that not all studies reflect an association with reduced fertility, but a number indicate a higher risk of untoward outcomes. Risk also may be reduced when the disease is recognized and treated with a gluten free diet.

Moreover, they point out that “the classic presentation of diarrhea and malabsorption is now less common, and atypical and silent presentation are increasing.”

Dr. Kumar concluded, “Serology for celiac disease should be included in the workup of idiopathic cases of poor reproductive performance.”